


The Vegan Cupcake

by PetalsToFish



Series: Alternate Universe Jily (Magical) [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baking, F/M, Hufflepuff Pride, Hufflepuff!James, Quidditch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 29,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29453328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetalsToFish/pseuds/PetalsToFish
Summary: Hufflepuff star James Potter was extremely brave (or extremely stupid) for coming to the Gryffindor Tower with a tray of cupcakes in his hands after annihilating Gryffindor on the Quidditch Pitch. He sauntered into the common room like he owned the place, eliciting anger from every corner. Lily should've hated him, like the rest of her friends, but there was something incredibly endearing about the Hufflepuff...and she really fancied his vegan cupcakes.Hufflepuff!James/Gryffindor!Lily
Relationships: James Potter & Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: Alternate Universe Jily (Magical) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199822
Comments: 8
Kudos: 61





	1. Fifth Year

Lily Evans stared at flames crackling beyond the table she was standing around with her friends. The endless gossip about some fifth year Hufflepuff chaser who had ruined Gryffindor's chances at the Quidditch cup was being reiterated by eighteen different people and she had stopped listening by the second complaint. She was still warming up, the wind had been blistering cold and cut through her scarves that day and she couldn't feel her cheeks as she sipped the hot chocolate that Nigel had gotten for her. Her fingernails were still painted scarlet, showing her house pride, but she had long changed out of her Gryffindor robes and had settled for jeans and her coziest sweater. Around Lily, her friends were still in their Gryffindor apparel as if to protest Hufflepuff's extraordinary winning.

Personally, Lily thought Hufflepuff had played a good game. She was immensely sad that her boyfriend Nigel's team had lost, but Hufflepuff had unleashed a secret weapon at last minute. They'd pulled their fifth year reserve chaser off the stands and put him in the game halfway through, resulting in goal after goal. Lily had never seen anything like it.

"What the  _ hell _ is he doing here?"

Everyone standing around the small table laden with cups and treats looked up when Marlene McKinnon dropped her treacle tart from her lips to state her surprise at something she had spotted behind them. Lily lowered her mug and examined Marlene's furrowed brow before turning to look at the portrait hole at the same time as everyone else. Eric Mathews slammed his cup down beside Lily in anger and Lily jumped a bit, eyeing Eric irritably.

"Does he have a death wish?" Eric hissed to Marlene who shrugged, eyes zeroed in on a boy coming though the Gryffindor portrait hole.

A boy who was most definitely  _ not _ a Gryffindor (based on the knitted Hufflepuff sweater adorning his broad shoulders) was stumbling through the portrait hole behind some giggling first years. Lily swirled the contents in her mug, as she looked the boy up and down with interest, instead of apprehending him like she ought to have done as Gryffindor prefect. Lily had to admit that the Hufflepuff was either extremely brave (or extremely stupid) for coming to the Gryffindor common room at that particular moment. After all, showing up after Hufflepuff had destroyed Gryffindor in the quidditch game was a good way to get jinxed.

The Hufflepuff seemed unconcerned by the number of eyes glaring his way as he looked around the common room through thick-framed spectacles. In his hands, he held a tray of cupcakes iced with scarlet frosting, looking quite out of place against his yellow sweater. He spotted someone he knew at the table near the fireplace and perked up. He strutted over with a confident gait and placed the tray of cupcakes onto the table that Lily and her friends were standing next to.

"Hello." He said with a cheery air that insinuated he didn't care what they were all thinking about him.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here." Marlene crossed her arms at the intruder.

"Especially dressed like  _ that _ ." Lily ridiculed, taking a sip of her drink.

"You don't like my sweater?" the boy looked affronted, "My  _ mum _ knitted this with her own two hands just for me."

She appreciated the curve to his smile; the one that promised he liked what he saw when his eyes fell on her. Lily took another sip of her drink to hide her own smile, animated by the Hufflepuff. Marlene tossed an arm over Lily's shoulder and stuck her tongue out at the Hufflepuff.

"She's out of your league."

"Actually," the boy contradicted, "Since Hufflepuff won the game—aren't I technically out of  _ her _ league?"

Lily raised a brow, "You're bold."

"Hufflepuff's  _ aren't _ welcome here." Marlene stated resolutely, cutting in between Lily and the intruder.

The boy leaned his lanky body against the nearest wall, "Well, McKinnon, I'd say sorry for kicking Gryffindors arse on the quidditch pitch but my mum didn't raise a liar."

Lily's almost spit out her mouthful of hot chocolate. She lowered her mug and exchanged a glance with Mary MacDonald. The Huffelpuff had mistakenly walked over to a table filled with Gryffindor quidditch players and unleashed Gryffindor's competitive side. All of Lily friends looked like they were about to throw the boy off the tower as a sacrifice to the Quidditch Gods.

The boy remained relaxed as if he didn't just shite on their house in front of them.

"How did you even get in here?" Eric asked the boy, looking him up and down with pure loathing.

The boy shrugged, as it was a matter of little importance, "Gryffindor's common room is the easiest to get into."

Mary's nose wrinkled in protest, "You need a password."

He leaned back farther into the wall, "Not when the first years hold the portrait hole open entirely too long."

"How 'bout you leave and let the portrait door hit you on the way out?"

Lily winced as Nigel Babbington entered the rivalry circle by the sweet table, fuming at the ears. Nigel was the sixth year Gryffindor quidditch captain and wouldn't take any challenge without a fight. Big, burly, and a beater since joining the team at twelve...Nigel would murder the lanky fifth year Hufflepuff. As Nigel's girlfriend of two months, Lily wondered how long it would take before she'd have to break up a fight because of the senseless Hufflepuff sending Nigel a snarky look.

"Babbington," the Hufflepuff broadcast as if he and Nigel were long-lost friends, "Looking as lovely as ever, mate, you took that bludger to the head like a  _ champ _ ."

" _ You little sh _ —"

The boy pushed a cupcake into Nigel's mouth so Nigel couldn't curse him out, "Have a cupcake."

Cupcake and frosting spewed from Nigel's mouth and Lily jumped forward to intervene before there was Hufflepuff blood spilled on her common room floor.

"Did you really just force feed my boyfriend?" she asked, stepping in between Nigel and the boy.

Hufflepuff tilted his head at her, "Boyfriend?"

"Yeah." Lily, taken aback, stared at the Hufflepuff indignantly, "Why are you shoving cupcakes into my boyfriends mouth?"

He smiled, "I assumed it was the only way to shut him up."

"Take your fucking cupcakes and  _ go _ Potter." Marlene shoved the tray back at the boy, James, irritably.

"Potter?" Lily queried, mildly surprised as she recognized the name from the quidditch pitch earlier.

Lily hadn't ever really met Potter but she knew of him. She was surprised to find that he was taller than she would've surmised...he easily cleared the rest of the boys at Hogwarts. Despite having wide shoulders, he was incredibly lanky. Lily wondered how he had so much stamina in quidditch but she also knew his long arms and legs gave him ample leverage on the field. Half of Gryffindor's chasers were girls under 5'3 with short arms; James could easily swipe the quaffle off any of them.

She'd seen him around before, once or twice, in the halls talking with Sirius Black. She's assumed he was a sixth year, not the fifth year Quidditch player who had swiped Gryffindor off their brooms. His spectacles slid down his nose as he turned his gaze to her, the questioning tone in her voice astonishing him.

"I said get out of here Potter,  _ before _ I jinx you."

"That would involve you actually having to catch me, Babbington." Potter surmised, "And we both know you weren't fast enough on the pitch."

Lily wasn't going to be able to save the Hufflepuff now. Nigel rolled up the sleeves of his robe as Lily tried to hold him back.

A new voice shouted amongst the red and gold students, "Potter!"

"Enjoy the cupcakes." The Hufflepuff simply saluted them before swiping a bit of icing off one of his cupcakes.

Sirius Black appeared through the crowd wearing a dressing gown and his hair in light waves atop his head. Half the girls in the common room turned to look longingly at the pureblood wizard, his looks being hard to ignore. Lily was surprised to see Sirius downstairs; he normally stuck with his mates upstairs. Of course, when Peter Pettigrew appeared behind Sirius waving at James excitedly, Lily knew Peter and Sirius must've made their way from their dorms simply to find the Hufflepuff.

Lily recalled seeing James and Sirius together a couple times in the hallway and knew that James must've been the Hufflepuff that Sirius always said he was going to hang out with. Lily had to admit that Sirius being friends with a Hufflepuff had been a little surprising to Lily as Sirius was a little rough around the edges...but James Potter seemed like the perfect friend for high-spirited Sirius.

"Fucking finally, James!" Sirius shouted over his fellow students, "Did you stop and smell the roses? Bloody hell!"

"More like stopped and baked some cupcakes." Peter sniggered, swiping a cupcake from the tray.

"Shove off Wormtail," James protested, "You love my baking."

"So does my gut." Peter patted his belly and the boys laughed.

Lily's interest was peaked but it was too late, Sirius had systematically shoved a butterbeer into James' empty hands and was suddenly pulling him away from the sweets table. Peter followed, licking icing off the cupcake he'd swiped.

"We've been waiting down here ages and poor Pete's hard of hearing now!"

"I'm sorry!" Potter looked ashamed, "I stopped by the kitchens!"

"I had to listen to Annabeth Chase sing Celestia Warbeck  _ three _ times!" Peter protested, one of his hands covering his ears like he could still hear Annabeth's soprano voice.

"Potter?" Lily asked her friends, eyes trying to glimpse the boy disappearing through the crowded commons, "As in Hufflepuff's star chaser, James  _ Potter _ ? The fifth year that just kicked our arses?  _ That _ James Potter?"

Marlene took a swing of her drink before replying coldly, "I'd recognize his smug grin anywhere."

"Did he really bring us cupcakes?" Mary asked, blue eyes scanning the tin of cakes.

Nigel muttered, "They taste weird, like cinnamon."

"You know what's weird?" Lily asked, "You'd think the bloke that led Hufflepuff to victory would want to celebrate with his own house, not with our designated troublemakers."

"He sneaks in here all the time to hang out with Black, Pettigrew, and Lupin." Nigel slug an arm around Lily's shoulders as he picked up a cup closest to him to wash down the cupcake James had shoved into his mouth, "I've caught him in the fifth year dorm at least fifteen times this year."

"Didn't Black get written up for telling Potter the password to the common room just last week?" Marlene complained, taking another swing of her drink, "God, they're house common rooms for a  _ reason _ ."

"Black doesn't care." Nigel snorted into Lily's shoulder as they stood around with all their friends, "And I don't think Potter does either..."

Lily's eyes dropped to the cupcakes on the table in front of the girls. They were precariously iced red and gold with a ribbon pattern. The tin holding them was black and had JP etched into the side haphazardly. It looked like chicken scratch and seemed to fit the bespectacled boy that had disappeared into the sea of scarlet and gold.

Lily let her eyes scan the crowd, determined to get eyes on the crashing Hufflepuff again. The cupcake in her hand was soft and enticing. Lily licked the icing off her fingers and was surprised to find a little kick of something in the frosting. She leaned against the bookshelf to her left and took an investigative bite of the cupcake.

The soft bread rumbled in her mouth at the same time that a jelly substance fell onto her tongue from the middle of the cupcake. The jam had the same kick as the frosting and this time, Lily knew the kick as soon as she tasted the artificial cinnamon. Lily hissed in wonder, eyes staring at the cupcakes containing jellied firewhiskey...alcohol.

"Nigel these are firewhiskey cupcakes!" she told her boyfriend, amazed, "Potter brought us cupcakes laced with firewhisky!"

"No way," Eric leaned forward to smell one of the cupcakes, "What the Hell? I didn't know fith years could buy firewhisky."

"They can't Eric," Lily said with a roll of her eyes, "That's the  _ point _ ."

She swiped another cupcake and Nigel looked at her disapprovingly.

"Lily they're  _ enemy _ cupcakes, firewhiskey or not."

"What's this about firewhiskey cupcakes?" an older Gryffindor named Theo Hawkins perked up from the couch nearby where he'd been sucking face with Savannah Knox.

Lily grabbed the whole tin, "Nothing!"

"Pass 'em over, Evans!" Theo motioned with a hand and seeing as he was Head Boy, Lily ought to have listened but she knew if she gave them to Theo he'd eat them all himself.

Mary tried to take the cupcakes from her, "Give them to Theo, Lily..."

"Potter could get in trouble!"

"We  _ all _ could get in trouble!"

"Uh, Lily, why are you hugging James' cupcake tin?"

Lily turned to see Remus Lupin walking up to their table. His prefect bade was lopsided on his robes and he looked exhausted but Remus often looked perpetually tired. His hair always lay flat against his forehead like he slept on it half the day and he had dark circles under his eyes despite the bright smile on his face.

"How'd you know this was Potter's?" Lily asked.

"James initials his cupcake tins so no one can steal them." Remus pointed out with an amused, yet affectionate, glance at the cupcake tin in Lily's hands.

"Lupin," Nigel puffed out his chest and Lily managed to lick the icing off another cupcake, "Did you happen to see your mate Potter?"

"Can't say I did." Remus said, leaning over Lily's arms to grab a cupcake so that he couldn't meet Nigel's stare, "But judging by these cupcakes, I'm assuming he stopped by?"

Remus Lupin was the only other Gryffindor fifth year boy and despite being made prefect by the Headmaster, was far from prefect material since he skipped class quite often and was very into zonko's joke shop pranks. Lily had been at the receiving end of Remus' fake wands more than once and didn't trust Remus' wink in her direction as he extracted the firewhiskey jam from his cupcake.

Lily focused on the cupcakes, "Potter  _ made _ these?"

"He's got a thing for baking." Remus told her.

"Baking with alcohol?"

"His best cupcakes are the triple chocolate." Remus told her, "But it seems he finally managed to get into Pamona's desk to nick her whiskey stash. He's been wanting to make these kind for ages after reading about them in a magazine."

"He reads  _ baking _ magazines?" Lily grinned and Remus grinned back nodding.

"He's got ten stashed in the loo at home."

Lily laughed out loud.

Nigel slung an arm around Lily's waist as he repeated to Remus, "Potter  _ isn't _ allowed here, Remus, it's against the rules."

"Rest assured Babbington," Remus raised a eyebrow at Nigel, "I think James is well aware of the rules."

"You better not be giving Potter the common room passwords." Eric said to Remus despairingly, "After all, Black got in so much trouble when he did. Gryffindor lost twenty points!"

"How dare you Eric." Remus gasped theatrically, "I wouldn't  _ ever _ betray my fellow Gryffindor's by dropping the password list on James' desk every morning in Transfiguration."

Remus' sarcasm was so dry, it was hard to pick out, but Lily caught it and sniggered. When Nigel frowned deeply Lily changed her laugh into a cough that she covered with her forearm. Remus winked at her and walked away from the table, but not before swiping one more of James' really delicious cupcakes. Lily took another cupcake for herself and placed the tin on the table. Theo's best mate swiped the tin and it disappeared into the hands of the seventh year Gryffindors.

Nigel knocked the cupcake out of her hand, "Don't eat that Lily it's probably poisoned."

Lily snorted as she bent down to pick up her discarded cupcake, "Nigel it's just a Hufflepuff with a cocky attitude and good baking skills."

"He helped beat us in quidditch!"

"I know! I was there! But Merlin, enjoy the fucking cupcake."

Marlene muttered to Nigel, "Hufflepuff is the enemy."

Nigel grumbled, "We could've had the chance to win the quidditch cup if Hufflepuff didn't have Potter."

"We still have a chance." Lily told them with half laugh, ruffling Nigel's hair.

Nigel flattened his hair immediately with a sour look, "Lily,  _ babe _ , I've told you not to mess with my hair."

Lily playfully wiggled her fingers in Nigel's direction and everyone laughed as he covered his perfectly jelled hair. Nigel's sidekick, Gryffindor Beater Alec, tapped his fingers against the table, annoyed at even the slight mention of Hufflepuff.

"Unless Hufflepuff loses the next game to Slytherin by 260 points...we're doomed." Alec complained, "Hufflepuff are going to be the quidditch cup champions."

The thought of losing to Hufflepuff was slightly disappointing but Lily decided to see the positive in things, "Well, at least we aren't losing to Slytherin."

"Lily!" Everyone in the vicinity shouted at her in horror, "Don't  _ say _ that!"

"You were the ones throwing a pity party!"

Lily threw her hands up in the air, fed up with the lot of them, and made her way over to another table where some of the girls were painting their fingernails. Lily sat down next to a girl with perfectly pinned curls and a very white smile.

Dorcas Meadows looked up from her vivid pink fingernails and beamed as Lily sat down, "Had enough of the quidditch loons for now Evans?"

"Remind me why I'm dating one of those loons?" Lily asked as she braided her hair over her shoulder.

"Because he looks like a blonde David Cassidy?"

"Because he's hot?"

"Because he's good at quidditch?"

Lily placed the polish on her fingers; "He's not so bad with his mouth either."

All of the girls sniggered.

Eventually Nigel found Lily again and (as any good boyfriend would) pulled her into the nearest alcove for a snog. Several minutes later his fingers were playing with the buttons on her shirt, popping them open one at a time. His fingers grazed the lace of her bra and Lily supposed she ought to have encouraged him since they had nothing better to do but the sound of someone's laughter made her attention go elsewhere.

Her eyes searched the dark hallway while Nigel's hands continued their assessment under her jumper, his lips attached to her neck. Lily looked around Nigel's flaxen hair to spot a blaze of yellow skipping down the nearest staircase. The yellow was bright in the darkness, glowing every time it flew past a torch. Lily spotted a smile and knew it was James Potter, leaving the Gryffindor common room well after curfew. Lily was about to push Nigel off her person and tell James he'd better have a good excuse for leaving after curfew but Lily paused when she saw James had a Gryffindor tie strung up in his jet-black hair like a headband. He was miming playing a guitar and snickering as he disappeared down the stairs.

She had to hide her snort as a cough.

"You alright?" Nigel asked, flush against her skin.

"Fine," she lied as her shoulder shook from laughing.

"Lily," Nigel pouted, "Stop laughing, it's ruining the mood."

She couldn't help it, not even after Nigel broke away from her to glare as she continued laughing, the imagine of James Potter playing air guitar with a Gryffindor headband in his messy black hair..

Potter was the cockiest, dorkiest, and weirdest person she'd ever met, plus a Hufflepuff to boot. She was happy they'd met officially because she was certain they could be friends if it weren't for her boyfriend, currently pouting beside her as they walked back to the common room.

Lily was curled up on a staircase a week later by the greenhouses reading  _ Charms: A Theory _ when she spotted four boys. They were walking up from the forest and wearing smiles as wide as any. At the front of the group, leading the pack with his glasses askew, James was jumping onto the back of Sirius. They were loud and their voices carried over to Lily with the wind.

"I won!" Sirius shouted to the sky, "Fastest!"

"Only because you tripped me!" James protested.

"You're the one who wasn't watching where you were running, Prongs."

"Carry me back!" James whined, his hair shining under the sunlight, "I think I broke something!"

"Yeah Potter," Sirius grunted as he held James on his back, "You broke your pride!"

All the boys cracked up and Lily smiled herself when Sirius dropped James to his arse on the grass. James kicked out when Peter laughed and Peter tripped over James' long legs. Like a pack of rabid animals, all the boys then began tackling each other. Even Remus, who often strayed from physical exertion, was taking part in kicking the ever-loving shite out of the Hufflepuff.

"Ouch,  _ not my glasses _ Remus you little shit!"

James rolled off Remus and Peter. In James' hands were glasses, the frames broken in half from the childish roughhousing. Sirius rotated onto his back in the grass and was holding his stomach laughing while James pulled his wand from his pocket. Lily curled her knees up so she could rest her chin on them while she watched the boys, fascinated.

"Professor Sprout will kill  _ all _ of you if I can't fly in the next game because you've killed me." James dramatically spat, repairing his glasses with a wave of his wand.

"What a shame that would be," Sirius got up off the grass and cracked his knuckles, "You,  _ actually _ letting another team have a fighting chance."

"Yeah but this is Slytherin." James stressed, "No one  _ wants _ them to win anyways."

"What if  _ I _ want them to win?"

All four boys turned to glance her way. Remus waved as he pulled grass strands from his robes and Sirius saluted her. James looked at her like she was the devil reincarnate.

" _ Pardon _ ?" James asked, using his middle finger to push his specs up his long nose.

"You said no one wants Slytherin to win..." Lily stated, "Haven't you considered that the other houses might want Slytherin to win so that we can have a shot at the quidditch cup?"

James put a finger to his temple, "I've considered it but I don't really care."

"You're a cocky bastard." Lily reputed, "All because you're good on a broomstick."

"I'm good at other things." James protested.

"Yeah," Peter snorted, "Like baking."

"Baking is  _ cool _ ." James argued insistently.

"You know what's cooler?" Lily dropped her book in her lap and maimed playing a guitar with a wink in James' direction, "Your air guitar the other night when you left the common room after curfew."

All of a sudden, James blushed, the red flush reaching to his black roots.

"How's that pride of yours Potter?" Sirius tormented roguishly, "Still broken?"

"We keep you grounded James." Remus slung an arm around James and grinned at his friend.

"Come on James, let's go." Sirius slung an arm around the Hufflepuff's shoulders, dragging him away, but James waved at Lily as he was dragged away and Lily (Merlin help her if Nigel ever found out) waved back.

In the next Quidditch game, when James helped Hufflepuff absolutely murder Slytherin, Lily had to hold back cheering for the star chaser as he did victory laps around the field. Nigel was moaning into her hair and Marlene looked like she was going to cry when Headmaster Dumbledore passed James the quidditch cup.

"We'll win next year." Nigel told Marlene firmly, "Potter just had a stroke of luck this year."

Lily and Nigel walked hand in hand down the stairs to reach the field. They were stuck behind all the students in front of them, everyone struggling to leave the field to get back to their common rooms. When the Gryffindors passed the Hufflepuff's there was serious tension. The only exception was when Sirius, Remus, and Peter made their way over to James. Lily watched as the boys hugged and congratulated James. One of them said something that made James knock them over the head.

Lily's eyes met James Potter's for just a moment as she and her friends passed the party on the pitch. His smile was sugary sweet as he waved to her, surrounded by a sea of yellow speckled with red and blue as the students admired the silver quidditch cup. His goggles were pushed up into his hair, making it more flyaway than usual and he was sporting a bleeding cut on his left cheek.

"Come on Lily," Nigel tugged on her hand, "We can go get lunch and sit by the lake with the rest of the team."

Lily smiled back at James before turning her gaze into the sea of scarlet robes.

"We'll win next year." She told Marlene and Nigel, but she really didn't know if she believed the words herself.

Hufflepuff was a force to be reckoned with now that they had unleashed their secret weapon: the cupcake baking fifth year chaser with a cute smile.


	2. Sixth Year

"Hi Lily!"

Lily looked up from her transfiguration notes. Lily grinned when she saw who was leaning over her table with an enthusiastic grimace. The scribbles on her paper had long since been boring her and she was looking for any excuse to take a quick break. She pushed away her notes and motioned at Sirius to take a seat.

He had his robes for school on, despite classes being finished over an hour before. The robes were winkled and his scarlet and gold tie lay lopsided on his chest. Despite looking ruffled, he still managed to look ridiculously attractive and two Ravenclaw girls stared at the Gryffindor's as they walked by, their eyes attached to Sirius' high cheekbones. Sirius ignored the Ravenclaw's and kept his gaze solely on Lily.

"How was your summer Lily?" He wasn't carrying a schoolbook but he had his wand tucked behind his ear as he slid into the seat beside her, "Get your owl scores back?"

Normally Sirius stuck to surnames around Lily, a weird form of fondness he'd adopted over the years. He had called her 'Lily'  _ twice _ and that was all she needed to hear to know Sirius was visiting on business.

Lily pushed her hair back so she could get a better look at him, "What do you  _ need _ , Sirius?"

Sirius cackled, knowing he'd been caught, "Well, now that you mention it, I hear from a good source that you're buddy buddy with the Head Boy and I need a favor."

"A favor?"

" _ Babyi _ ngton gave me detention this Friday."

Lily placed her chin in her hands, "What'd you do?"

"Unimportant," Sirius brushed her question aside, "I have plans this Friday and I can't be in detention."

"Should've thought about that before you got detention, huh?"

" _ Lily _ ." Sirius begged, " _ please _ , I'll get you tickets to the Sound Banshees this summer."

As much as Lily loved the Sound Banshees she was still suspicious, "Bribery?"

Sirius' grey eyes twinkled at her, "I'm desperate Evans."

"What did you do?" Lily laughed, pushing her notes farther away as Sirius played with his wand.

Sirius waved his wand flippantly, " _ Apparently _ , I was carrying around filibusters fireworks in my bag."

Lily pursed her lips, "Apparently?"

"He was  _ clearly _ seeing things."

"Was he?" Lily giggled before shoving her shoulder against his, "I'll have you know my boyfriend does not see things."

"No," Sirius teased her, "But I do wonder what you see in a git like him."

Lily's smile faded, "That's not helping your case, Black."

"Evans, I would ask Remus for help but he'll tell James."

Lily perked up, "James?"

"James Potter, he's a Hufflepuff."

"The Hufflepuff chaser?"

"One and the same," Sirius said, "He's mad because I broke his favorite broom model earlier this week and fucking Peter convinced James that he ought to sue me."

"He's suing because you broke his favorite broom model?" Lily snorted, "Sirius, you can't expect me to believe—"

"There's the traitor now!" a stagy voice interrupted Lily and Sirius.

Lily glanced up and her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. He was a looker with the same suave manner that reminded her of Nigel; James was just slightly more impractical with his style. Unlike Nigel's perfect perm, James was wearing his messy hair pulled to the left side of his face. The swoop of his curls were hiding his brows but leaving his eyes free to express humor in their place. Sunlight filtered from the window and covered James in a golden light as he waltzed up to the table in the back of the library.

"Looks like I won't have to talk to Nigel." Lily teased Sirius as, behind James, Peter waltzed in looking like he was about to lay down the law.

"James, do  _ not _ speak to the plaintiff." Peter warned James, who had opened his mouth to likely say something ill-advised to Sirius.

"Peter." Sirius shot James a glare, "Tell your four-eyed client I refuse to speak to him until my own lawyer is present."

James triumphantly beamed at Sirius, "Your lawyer  _ quit _ ."

Sirius yelped, "Son of a bitch! Quit?"

"He said he doesn't want to represent you." Peter pulled a mint out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth, "Something about payback for dirty socks?"

Lily raised an eyebrow at the boys. She was half amused and half perplexed, "What's going on?"

"Remus..." Sirius muttered to Lily as if she knew what was happening, "He quit."

"No lawyer? No chance." James mocked, arms crossed on his broad chest, "It's a one way trip to Azkaban for you, Black."

"I have new representation!" Sirius said powerfully.

"Who?" James scorned, as if Sirius had no other friends.

Sirius slung an arm around Lily and said smugly, "Her."

"Since when?" Peter asked.

"Since five seconds ago when you told me that Moony left me for the wolves."

For some reason, this reply made all three boys erupt into harmonious laughter. Lily lowered herself in her chair as she tried to figure out what they were really talking about. She wasn't able to stay focused for long though because James had tossed his hands up into his hair and was leaning back into a bookshelf as he laughed. He was so full of life and happiness and his laughter caused her toes to tingle.

Sirius woke her up from her reverie, "My new lawyer, Lily, says that I am not going to Azkaban since I'm not the one who left their prized model broom on their desk where it was easily breakable."

"She didn't  _ say _ anything!" James pointed at Lily distractedly, "You're mental Padfoot!"

"You're the mental one Pr-"

"You're  _ both _ mental." Lily muttered, trying and failing to keep up.

Sirius pushed Lily flippantly, "Lily, don't interrupt while James is interrupting me."

Lily's jaw dropped and she pulled from Sirius' grasp to glare at her fellow Gryffindor crossly. Sirius was too busy considering James to notice her sudden disdain. They were both moving their eyebrows and wrinkling their brows. It was like a secret language between the pair, one that Lily couldn't read. James wrinkled his nose at Sirius, as if the private conversation through facial expressions had pacified him.

"Peter," Lily asked the other Gryffindor boy, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Peter nodded, "Hell no, I just go along with their shenanigans for laughs."

James considered Lily next, "Are we bothering you?"

"Yes." Lily pointed to her forgotten transfiguration notes.

"She's lying." Sirius said, "She was half asleep with I found her."

"I don't believe we've met officially," James stuck out his hand to her before she could strangle Sirius, "I'm James."

Lily shook his hand, "It's a pleasure James; I'm Lily."

"I know who you are." the corners of his eyes crinkled playfully.

"Do you?" she asked, the corners of her mouth turning up under his kind gaze.

"You're wearing a prefect badge, you've got red hair, and you have nice tits." He replied crookedly, "That makes you Gryffindor's prettiest sixth year, Lily Evans."

"You forgot top of the class." She pointed out, ignoring the ' _ nice tits' _ portion he'd slid into the conversation.

"Modest, for a Gryffindor." James observed.

"And you're cheeky for a Hufflepuff." Lily tilted her head at James, "often memorize a girl by her ' _ nice tits' _ ?"

Peter cut into their word match, "James also thinks your eyes are, what's the word he used last year Sirius?"

"Definitely said she had eyes like an angel, Pete."

Lily beamed and James flushed, glancing at her self-consciously.

"Eyes like an angel, eh?" she baited James and he tried and failed to look like her teasing didn't hurt his pride.

"I was drunk," James said while red in the face.

"Drunk words are sober words unspoken..." Sirius hissed behind his hand to Lily but it was only for dramatics because James heard Sirius clearly.

James proudly puffed out his chest; "Well I had to finish the bottle once I was done cooking with it? Didn't I?"

"And do you often lace your cupcakes with firewhiskey?" Lily asked.

His eyes sparkled happily, "Remus told me you liked them."

Lily flipped her hair over her shoulder, "They were alright."

"I could give you the recipe." James offered eagerly.

Lily thought of her sister's failed eleventh birthday cake and grimaced while she shook her head quickly, "Oh, I don't bake."

"Have you ever tried?"

"I burn everything I touch."

"Probably because you're so hot."

Sirius and Peter groaned, as if James had embarrassed them but Lily laughed and that caused James to laugh too. Lily liked the way James laughed, it echoed through the whole library and filled up every crevice with his unique kindheartedness. Lily's laugh faded away as his continued, she couldn't do anything but let her eyes tracing the curve of his jaw and the ink on his fingers. When James' laughter died on his lips and his eyes found hers again, she couldn't hide her grin because it was the widest she'd smiled in months.

Lily nudged Sirius, who looked rather put out, "Why haven't you ever introduced me to your mate before this Sirius?"

"He's an idiot." Sirius muttered.

"I like him." Lily said confidently.

"I'm trying  _ really _ hard to make you like me."

Lily blinked subsequently in his direction, her eyes lingering a little too long on the way his fingers became trapped in his messy black hair...

"Can we get back to the reason we're all here?" Sirius asked, annoyed the conversation had been drawn away from him.

"Why are you here?" Peter asked, eyes glistening humorously.

Sirius opened his mouth to likely pull some lie out of his arse so James wouldn't hear about the detention but Lily was never one to let Sirius get out of his poorly planned messes.

"He had to ask for a favor."

"Uh oh," James shoved his hands into his pockets, smoothly winking at Lily, "It's never good when Sirius Back comes to you for a favor."

"No?" Lily asked James who shook his head.

"That's how I met the sorry son of a bitch," James chuckled, "I was an innocent first year, minding my own business, when this scrappy kid comes running up to me asking for a favor."

"What was the favor?"

"He asked me if I didn't mind taking the blame for dungbombs in the corridor."

"Did you?"

Peter snickered, recalling the story, "James asked Sirius if he had anymore dungbombs for Filch's office and the two have been best friends ever since."

"Adorable."

"It's not  _ adorable _ , Evans." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"And we're definitely not best friends right now," James cautioned, "Not until he apologizes for breaking my model broom."

"Lily..." Sirius turned to her, looking dog-tired, "can you or can you not,  _ help _ me?"

All three pairs of eyes fell on her.

"Fine," Lily shrugged and nudged Sirius with her foot, "But only to protect your adorable friendship with James."

Sirius sighed in relief, "Thank you, and tell Nigel thanks too I guess..."

Lily rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to ask Nigel, he'd say no the minute you were brought up."

Sirius nodded, "You have a fair point."

Lily pulled her books into her bag, "I'm just going to take your name off the detention list."

"Wait," James had pieced together the conversation, "why is she taking you out of detention?"

"Because I value my life." Sirius replied back nonchalantly.

"If you valued your life," Peter contradicted, "You wouldn't have broken James' model broom."

"Good point Peter." James said, "This is why you're my lawyer against the plaintiff."

"Too bad Sirius' lawyer dropped out." Peter laughed nasally, sounding quite like a hyena.

"He's got me." Lily reminded Peter.

"You don't want to serve him." James assured Lily, "He's a needy arse."

"Fuck off you dicks and let me talk with my representative in peace." Sirius slung an arm around Lily again and she blew her fringe from her eyes exasperatedly but she was smiling.

"When your representative gets tired of your bullshit," James tipped an imaginary hat at them, "There's a spot free in the Potter Legal Defense League for you, Lily. We've got cupcakes"

"You can't bribe her over!" Sirius cried protectively.

"If he brings me some more firewhiskey cupcakes, he might." Lily admitted with a heavy shrug so that James and Peter sniggered and low fived each other.

"His cupcakes!" Sirius gawked at Lily, " _ No _ . What's worth more to you, our friendship,  _ six years in the fucking making _ , or Potter's stupid cupcakes?"

Lily pretended to think before replying back stealthily, "Which one of those options has firewhiskey?"

"The cupcakes." James offered hastily.

Lily leaned forward in her seat, "I'd take a bite of that offer, Potter."

James flushed and Peter laughed so loud that, through the book stacks came shushing whispers.

Sirius scoffed in a softer voice, "James' cupcakes are dry lumps with a bit of sugar powdered on top."

"Those'll be Hagrid's rock cakes you're thinking of mate." Peter said attentively.

"Damn," Sirius whistled, "I thought they were the same." James shot Sirius the middle finger but instead of looking disturbed, Sirius barked a laugh and said, "Bye Potter, don't come for me again unless you're prepared to apologize."

Sirius leaned back in his chair beside Lily, kicking his feet onto the desk. James motioned to Peter to follow him back out of the library as Sirius guarded Lily like a dog. Lily watched James go, her eyes lingering a bit too long on the curve of his neck as he passed by the bay windows. He shot one glance back at the table and their eyes met.

Lily felt like her heart literally dropped to her stomach when James caught his lower lip with his teeth as he smiled shyly at her.

"What a ponce." Sirius said, albeit affectionately of his two friends.

" _ How _ did you become friends?" Lily questioned, "Is that dungbomb story really true?"

Sirius snorted, "He met me through dungbombs but I would've  _ never _ started talking to Peter or Remus if it weren't for James' outgoing personality."

"Outgoing is a good word for it." Lily thought of James' electric energy.

She liked James more than she ought too for someone who was in a long-term relationship with Nigel Babbington.

"James is rather like you Lily and he can charm the pants off anyone."

Lily disputed, "I'd pay to see James try and charm the pants off Nigel."

"No," Sirius agreed, "Not Babbington...but he's certainly charming the skirts off you."

Lily shot Sirius a disgraceful stare, "You're awful."

"And you're smitten." Sirius grinned, "What  _ would _ Nigel say if he saw you ogling James' arse on the way out the door?"

Lily sniffed importantly, "if Nigel is allowed to stare at Natalie Tosser's breasts in Witch Weekly every night before bed then I am allowed to appreciate your mate's arse."

"You were appreciating more than James' arse." Sirius teased.

"He's got  _ nice _ hair."

"James' hair is not nearly as fine as your ken doll."

"My what?"

" _ Babyington _ ." Sirius enlightened, "Goldilocks is a regular old Ken doll...great hair, great bod, and a sporty type."

Lily huffed, "How do you even know about muggle dolls?"

"I have a little cousin who's got a muggleborn father."

Lily was surprised by this answer, "oh."

"You really know how to pick 'em." Sirius said as Nigel appeared in the stacks, his golden hair slicked back, "Babyington uses more hair gel than anyone in all of Hogwarts."

"James Potter could use a bit  _ more _ of hair gel." Lily thought of James' messy curls as she waved her boyfriend over to her table.

Sirius grinned, "I've been telling him that for years but he says he likes to embrace the mess."

"Can he even get a comb through it?"

"Probably not."

Quickly and deliberately, Sirius left her to study with Nigel. Nigel didn't ask why Sirius was sitting with her but Lily had a feeling Nigel liked to pretend Sirius didn't exist. The pair had always been walking thin thread after first year when Sirius supposedly stole all of Nigel's underwear and hung it up in the common room for everyone to see. Lily's hadn't witnessed the prank but she knew better than to ask Nigel how he knew Sirius was the perpetrator.

Nigel also didn't like James thanks to Quidditch. In fact, if left alone in a room together alone Lily was certain Nigel would attempt to beat James within an inch of his life. Lily could see the entire scene playing out in her head as she sat there studying. James would tease Nigel...Nigel would react...and then all Hell would break loose.

As far as Lily was concerned, no matter how much she liked James or how many smiles James sent her way, she had to keep her feelings to herself despite normally being perfectly honest with Nigel when she saw someone attractive. Nigel normally would laugh away her qualms but Lily knew that if she even remotely admitted to finding the Hufflepuff chaser attractive...Nigel would lose it.

So she stuck to watching James from afar when Nigel wasn't nearby. Sometimes she'd stop in the hallways and pass pleasantries with James but the more she spoke with him and got to know him...the more she knew she was digging herself into a hole.

James aside, the start of Lily's sixth year at Hogwarts was going as expected. Lily kept busy between Slug Club and prefect meetings by going out to the quidditch pitch to watch Nigel and the Gryffindor team practice their plays while she completed her schoolwork or gossiped with her friends. On one particularly cold January day she gave up trying to write her muggle studies essay when the ink in her quill froze. That was a sure tell sign it was too cold to be outside and she packed up her things to walk back to the castle alone.

It was while walking along the lake that she ran into James Potter. He was skipping stones on the shore, solitary, schoolbooks abandoned at his feet. She hadn't really spoken to him much (part of her 'appreciate from afar' foolproof plan) but then her foot stepped on a branch. The crack echoed out and he turned to look over his shoulder, giving her a dazzling smile she couldn't resist returning. She pulled herself to a stop in front of him, resisting the urge to fix his lopsided glasses.

"Lily." He said her last name as if she were his best friend and not an arbitrary acquaintance, "What are you doing?"

"I was watching Nigel and the rest of the team practice." Lily wrapped her arms around her form for warmth, rocking back and forth on her heels, "What are you doing out here?"

"I like it outside." James motioned around and Lily looked.

Behind the lake, the snowcapped trees were blowing in the blistery wind. Little whitecaps rose on the lake and she noticed he had a blanket spread on the ground like he'd been having a picnic. Lily looked at James again, arching her brow in question.

"You like it outside when it's below freezing?"

"You don't?"

"I prefer springtime."

He must've noticed her teeth chattering because he wasted no time in grabbing his things, "Fancy a friend to walk back to the castle with?"

Lily nodded and they fell into step with each other. There were spots of ice on the path, left over from the hail and sleet that had fallen the night before. The trees around them were bare and Lily kept her fingers shoved in her cloak, the icy wind biting into her pale skin. She allowed herself a glance to her left, her eyes tracing the flush on James' cheeks from the wind.

"How's Gryffindor practice going?" James asked without looking her way.

Lily exhaled, "Well, Nigel is currently trying to turn our mates into popsicles."

James looked at her in surprise, "Why's he doing that?"

"It's his last year and he wants to win the Quidditch Cup."

"Good luck with that," James scorned proudly, "Hufflepuff hasn't lost a game in months."

Lily blinked indignantly, "Hufflepuff has won every game  _ consecutively _ since you were pulled off the bench last year."

James looked charmed, "You follow quidditch?"

Lily shrugged, "I go to every game, despite Gryffindor's losing streak."

James waggled his eyebrows, " _ Babyington _ really lets you watch a game other than his own?"

"First of all  _ Nigel _ doesn't have any say in what I watch or don't watch." Lily glared at him, "Second of all, for a Hufflepuff, you can be a real dick."

James sighed melodramatically, "They tried to vote me out of Hufflepuff after I trimmed all the hedges into giant dicks to match my personality but Professor Sprout realized that despite my trouble-making habits...Hufflepuff's quidditch team would be  _ shite _ without me."

Lily didn't know if she should laugh or roll her eyes so she did both.

They entered the castle side by side, the warm air hitting them like a ton of bricks. A few students were lingering about but for the most part the hallways were quiet as Lily and James wondered aimlessly through the halls.

"I have a question for you." James said as he followed Lily into the Great Hall.

"Shoot."

James stared at Lily in confusion, "Shoot what?"

Lily realized he must not be muggleborn, "It's a muggle expression."

James looked put out, "Oh, erm, I'm pureblood."

"Sorry. I meant, go ahead with your question?"

James nodded before saying "Did you really not know who I was until last year?"

When Lily glanced at him she saw the tips of his ears were bright red. She wondered what he was embarrassed about but she decided not to tease him.

"I'd seen you around of course. I knew your name." she admitted, "I just never connected the dots that the lanky Hufflepuff always talking to Sirius Black was Hufflepuff's quidditch champion."

James seemed appeased by her reply, "We don't exactly run with the same crowd, do we?"

"No," she agreed delicately, "Not exactly."

James sat down text to her at the end of the Gryffindor table. Some Gryffindors and Slytherins were studying but for the most part, the Great Hall was empty. Lily and James were alone, lost in their connection.

"So have you and Babbington always been a thing?"

"Yeah," Lily grabbed a buttered roll, "We'd been friends since my first year and his second..."

She bit into the soft roll and chewed thoughtfully on the memories of second year Nigel taking Lily under his wing. He'd introduced her to Professor Slughorn. He'd brought her along to introduce to all his mates. He'd been there for her first heartbreak, her first failing mark, and her first broken bone. It had only been natural for her to eventually accept his offer for a date. It had always been expected by all of their mutual friends when they started dating.

Now, Lily wondered how much of her actually loved being with Nigel...when her heart had never done the flips for Nigel the way it flipped for James Potter.

"Wedding bells in the future?" James drew her from her inner monologue with an offhanded comment over his jam.

Lily made herself stay impersonal, "Why do you ask? Thinking of marrying him?"

"You caught me."

Lily laughed and knocked shoulders with James, "Nigel isn't your type."

"No?" James probed mockingly, "Why  _ ever _ would you say that?"

"Well..." Lily observed James' ears to see if he was flushed yet, "He's quite clear that Nigel hates you. And you hate him, for starters."

James chuckled, "Hate is a pretty strong word."

"You  _ don't _ hate him?" Lily asked in disbelief.

"I don't  _ hate _ anyone..."

It was such a Switzerland answer that Lily had to resist rolling her eyes and teasing him for not just admitting Nigel got under his skin.

"You're such a Hufflepuff."

James responded, "He's got ambition and I respect that."

"So you respect Nigel's ambition?"

"You could say that."

"But you  _ don't _ like him?"

"Well, no." James said awkwardly.

"Why?"

"Because I'm a bit jealous of him, to be honest."

" _ Jealous _ ?" Lily scoffed, "You have  _ everything _ Nigel wants! He's jealous of you! You've got the Quidditch Cup!"

"I mean the cup is great." James said smoothly, "But I can't tell the cup how pretty it is, or take the cup out for dinner, or teach it to bake."

" _ Oh _ ."

Lily got it but James didn't answer her surprised gasp, instead, he looked at his watch and made up some excuse to leave her sitting in the hall alone...thinking about the way he looked at her before he disappeared.

She had a feeling he was too chivalrous to tell her he fancied her while she was attached to another bloke...

But she wished he would.

He was warm and inviting and mesmerizing in a way Nigel had never been.

Like a river, Lily followed Nigel's established current without a fight because going with the flow was easier than swimming upstream. She didn't stop and look for new courses within the stream because she'd been content...at least until meeting James. James was like a riptide, pulling her away from the comfort of the known and promising a daring dive to the depths of the unknown.

It was both thrilling and terrifying to her all at once.

The only one she found herself talking too about the problem was Sirius.

"Well then dump Babbington and go out with James." Sirius suggested when she finished complaining about Nigel and James one night by the fireplace.

"I hardly know James well enough to just..." Lily paused, "Assume he'll like me back."

"So get to know him then Evans," Sirius sighed, "Sit with us in class tomorrow."

And so Lily did, but not without making fun of James the minute she spotted him in Transfiguration.

"Who sits in the  _ front _ of the classroom?"

"James does."

"How does he pass notes?"

Sirius laughed and pushed Lily forward, "Go, Evans, you're holding up the door."

The other Gryffindor's, especially Lily's friend Marlene, noticed when she stared walking way from her usual seat in the back of the classroom. She made sure tot urn and wave apologetically at Marlene, who stared at Lily, shocked.

"Where are you going?" Marlene called down the aisles.

"I need your girlfriend for the class, McKinnon." Sirius called up to Marlene, keeping his hand on Lily's shoulder, "You can have her back later."

Lily would have apologized to Marlene for ditching her and the rest of their friends but Sirius pushed her down into the seat beside James. Her book bag hit his chair and his head shot up to look at her in surprise.

"You lost?" he asked as she flushed feverishly under his gaze, "Gryffindor's sit back there."

"I've decided to promote inter-house alliance." Lily said, pulling her bookmark from the textbook.

James laughed, "That's awfully nice of you."

"I dared her to sit with you." Sirius said calmly, falling into the seat on James' other side.

"He had to  _ dare _ you to sit with me?" James looked personally offended.

Lily glared around James, her eyes boring into Sirius, "Sirius is just teasing."

"Well that's offensive." Sirius nicked a quill from James' bag, "I never tease."

"Are we friends with Evans now?" A voice to Lily's right asked.

Lily saw it was Peter Pettigrew carrying a book and a muffin, Remus Lupin directly behind him. Remus slid past Peter to grab the desk beside Sirius as Peter fell into the seat beside Lily.

"She's in a friendship trial run, Peter." Sirius told the mousy haired boy as he scratched his name into the top of his parchment.

Lily arched her brow at Sirius; "We've known each other for six years Sirius."

"I didn't like you the whole time though." Sirius said flippantly.

Lily narrowed her eyes as Remus laughed into his hand, "Remind me why I sat here?"

James replied glumly, "Because Sirius dared you, apparently."

Lily opened her mouth to make fun of James for being so sullen but Professor McGonagall walked in and her eyes fell on the table in the front. Lily didn't know if she imagined it, but she thought she saw a flutter of a smile cross Professor McGonagall's face.

"We will be covering advanced household transfiguration today." McGonagall made her way over to the board and all the students started copying their notes, "There are ten rules to know about household transfiguration. Anyone have any idea what these are?"

James' hand shot right up in the air.

"Nerd." Sirius shot at James.

James ingoted Sirius and answered the question, "That's a trick question Professor. Everyone knows household Transfiguration has thirteen rules as classified by Panama Blake."

" _ Everyone _ knows." Peter snored under his breath beside Lily.

Professor McGonagall glared at Peter before acknowledging James, "Very good Mr. Potter, and ten points to Hufflepuff."

James beamed and behind Lily, all the Gryffindor's groaned. When Professor McGonagall turned back to the board, James turned his cheek so he could wink at Lily. Lily shook her head at him, insinuating her disbelief. James seemed to find pleasure in her disbelief and chuckled as he bent over his notes. She assumed he was taking detailed notes but when she glanced over at him a short time later she saw vines boarding the words. He was sketching all over his notes. Snitches covered the margins and vines of flowers made their way along the edges. A very impressive dog was drawn near his notes on teapot configuration and a howling wolf sat in the corner by a sketch of a clock.

Goosebumps rose on Lily's arms as she watched him sketch a poppy.

"Are you really sketching flowers in your notes?" Lily teased him when Professor McGonagall was focused on watching Tom Lena transfigure his kettle.

"Did you really only sit here because someone dared you?" James shot back as he shaded the flower with the side of his quill.

"I never back down from a dare."

"You're such a Gryffindor." He snorted as he sketched into the margins.

"Says the Hufflepuff drawing  _ flowers _ all over his notes"

She liked it, the way he flushed and didn't argue. he just continued drawing, this time all over  _ her _ notes. By the time the bell rang Lily had thirteen cats, a stag, and her namesake sketched between her curvy handwriting.

"Is this how you spend your time?" Lily teased James as they packed up their things, "Drawing flowers and baking cupcakes?"

"You forgot beating Gryffindor's arse in qudiditch." James pushed his notes into his book bag, crumpling the papers up, "That's my favorite pastime."

Lily couldn't tell if he was kidding and she didn't really care because all she needed to know is that he was quick, witty and she  _ really _ couldn't ignore the warmth in the pit of her stomach when his hand touched the small of her back when they said goodbye after class.

She was fucked.

Sirius knew it too; he winked at her when she fell into step with Marlene.

"Can't wait to see what colors you'll be sporting in the next quidditch match Evans." Sirius commented slyly.

Marlene wrapped her arm in Lily's and dragged Lily away from Sirius' knowing laugh. Lily spent the next thirty minutes convincing Marlene she wasn't 'giving into the dark side' or thinking of 'transferring houses'.

"Then why were you sitting with Potter and the house traitors?" Marlene asked.

"Because they're my friends Marlene." Lily said, "Like you're my friend."

"Yeah well," Marlene scoffed, "Your  _ boyfriend _ isn't going to be happy when he hears you sat with his quidditch rival."

"Well, fuck it all then." Lily said irritably, earning a disgruntled look from Marlene.

Luckily, Lily didn't have to deal with a bitter Nigel because he was busy between Slug Club and NEWTs studies. Lily was growing bored, seeing as she didn't need to study for NEWTs yet and Nigel kept falling asleep over his notes. Lily kept leaving "study" sessions with Nigel and finding the other boys, her new friends. On Friday nights they often hung out by the old statue of Wilhelm the Giant Slayer. On Wednesdays they spent their time in the Library near the restricted section playing chess until the librarian kicked them out. Sometimes James would ask Lily to go for a walk, and those were her favorite times because they'd walk along the lake and he'd point out the stars...it turned out he had a fascination for astronomy.

"Why didn't you take astronomy?" he asked Lily one night as he pointed out Orion's belt.

Lily shrugged, "Well, I took it in primary."

"Pardon?"

"All muggles take science and we learned about the man on the moon, asteroids killing the dinosuars and all that shite."

"The man on the moon?" James pushed his glasses farther up at her, taking in her every word like she was preaching the gospel, "What's that?"

"An  _ actual _ man on the moon." Lily said and James stared at her in disbelief.

"Muggles put a man on the moon?"

"Yeah," Lily grinned, "They put these robes on that let them breathe in space."

"Breathe in space?" James marveled, "You can't breathe in space?"

"No." Lily giggled, "But Neil Armstrong walked on the moon anyways."

"Wicked."

Lily loved the way James spent the rest of the night staring up at the sky in wonder, as if he was trying to figure out a way to get to the moon too.

One Saturday in March after Quidditch, Nigel was snoring on the couch beside Lily and she was reading through her potions essay when Sirius found her. He was wearing a band shirt and jeans, looking entirely out of place in the magical world. He snatched Lily's papers from her hands and she scowled up at him.

"What Sirius?"

"Want to come crash a Hufflepuff party?"

"Pardon?"

"It's James' birthday and he'd love for you to be there."

Lily glanced at sleeping Nigel, "Well if it's his birthday—"

"Come on Evans." Sirius grabbed her arm and heaved, "You're coming."

And so, Lily was brought to the Hufflepuff common rooms. The Huffleuff's were far more welcoming than Lily expected. A few of the girls said hello to her as she entered the common room beside Sirius. Plants covered almost every inch of the hovel and there were plenty of stuffy armchairs to sit on around a burning fire pit in the middle of the room. Photographed lined the walls of past students and there were animals walking around the room like it was a barn. Lily even spotted a girl in an armchair feeding a owl her honey crisps.

James sat at a large wooden table at the end of the room surrounded by his friends. There was a large plate piled high with cupcakes and another plate filled with little meat pies. Pitchers of pumpkin juice were being poured by a red-eared Hufflepuff with a warm smile.

"Brought you a gift, James!" Sirius announced, pushing Lily forward so that she became the center of attention.

"I'm the gift?" Lily asked, with a tone of amusement on her voice as she walked over to where James sat.

Remus, who had been on James' left side, moved over so Lily could squeeze between them. Remus grinned at Lily and Lily grinned back before considering James. He wore a new sweater, engraved with stags and he had new glasses too. The glasses were a little big on his face and slide down his nose as he stared at her indulgently.

"Hi, thanks for coming."

Lily wrapped one arm around his shoulders and drew him in for a half hug that she savored when her face was pressed against his for a few seconds, "Happy birthday!" she drew back and motioned to the treats around them in order to keep the conversation away from how good he smelled, "There's so much to eat!"

"We're right next to the kitchen." James told Lily as she gazed at the table of food.

One of the other Hufflepuffs added, "The house elves know we like to be well stocked in desserts, especially for birthday celebrations!"

"Did you make cupcakes?" Lily teased James, pointing to the tray etched with his name and piled high with flowered cakes.

"They're chocolate mint." James boasted, puffing out his chest, "Mum's secret recipe."

"I'd gain twenty pounds if I were in Huffleuff." Lily said as she grabbed a meat pie, "Meat pie?"

"No thanks."

Lily bit into one and was surprised to find they were warm and flaky, just the way her mum baked them. Lily waved one in front of James' face.

"Did you bake these?"

"No, I don't eat meat."

Lily stopped chewing and stared blankly at James, "What?"

"I don't eat meat?"

"Why?"

James flushed, "I can't—I mean I did—but then—er—"

"James started getting hives whenever he ate meat in fifth year." Remus explained for James, "And so he became a vegetarian."

Lily swallowed the last bit of her pie, "You get hives when you eat meat?"

"Nasty side effect." James mumbled, looking down at his sweater of stags suddenly embarrassed.

"Side effect of what?" Lily poked James in his side, "Your eccentricity?"

"I'm a bit mad, yeah." James' ears were red.

"I still don't know how he lives without bacon." Sirius ruffled James' hair as he sat down.

"Quite easily, thanks." James glared at Sirius.

"Unbelievable." Lily said as she grabbed another meat pie and purposely stuffed it all into her mouth when James glanced her direction.

"Isn't he?" Sirius said like a proud dad.

"It's my birthday!" James pouted, "You're supposed to be nice to me!"

"When are we ever nice to you, James?" Peter asked and everyone laughed except for the birthday boy.

The party was the most fun Lily had in ages. Someone played music and they all sat around the burning fire trading words and laughing at Sirius' birthday toast to James. James hid in Lily's shoulder as Sirius recounted a particular story that ended with James sitting naked in a tree at thirteen. Lily was positively howling with laughter and James was groaning into her hair as she laughed.

The night finally drew to a close and Lily knew she'd have to go back to her common room.

"It's past curfew." James said, "Just stay here."

"I can't," Lily apologized, "My roommates will worry."

"I'll walk you back then," James offered.

"Aren't you coming?" Lily asked Sirius, Remus and Peter.

Peter shook his head, "Nah, we just sleep here."

James motioned for Lily to wait, "Let me just grab my cloak."

"Oh Merlin, he's always been so fucking  _ chivalrous _ ." Sirius complained as he walked Lily to the doorway out of the Hufflepuff common room, "He doesn't have a immoral bone in his body."

"He doesn't have to walk me back." Lily sighed, staring at the way his hands ruffled into his hair as he walked towards his bedroom.

"He knows how to stay out of sight of Filch." Sirius said, "He'll make sure you aren't given detention for being out past curfew."

"He can't make me invisible." Lily snorted, "Filch will probably still find me and I'll have to sweet talk my way out of it."

"He's very resourceful," Sirius said, not noticing Lily's eyes gaze over when James reappeared at the opposite end of the common room, "would've made a wicked Gryffindor."

"Yeah," Lily hummed, "He would've."

"Bet you're regretting not knowing him until now." Sirius shoved his elbow into her side.

"Half our house hates him for destroying us in quidditch." Lily said, "I never would've met him if it wasn't for you."

Sirius raised his filled drink in her direction, "I know it's your choice to date Babbington and all...but as your mate...and James'  _ best _ mate...I have to tell you that he fancies you something awful."

"I think I might fancy him back."

"Which do you fancy more?" Sirius asked, grey eyes shining intentionally, "The adorable vegan Hufflepuff or your stupid meat pie of a boyfriend, Nigel?"

She didn't answer Sirius because the answer was currently staring at Lily from across the room, his eyes blazing behind his glasses as he walked over to where she and Sirius were standing. Lily chewed on her lower lip and timidly smiled at James as he took her hand and led her away from the party and into the the dark halls of Hogwarts. James pulled her into an alcove and pulled a silky robe from his pocket with a grin.

"Ready to have your mind blown Evans?" he asked.

"Why?"

James just grinned wickedly and wrapped his arm around her waist. Lily looked up at him in shock as the hand placed on her lower back dragged her directly into him. Before she could register how close they were, James reached up with his other hand and dropped the silky cloth over their heads. He bent down a little bit so he could get a good look into her eyes.

"We're invisible right now."

"What?" Lily marveled, reaching out with one hand to touch the cloth.

James nodded eagerly, "This is an invisibility cloak."

"Wow." Lily continued letting her fingers drift across the silky fabric in awe, "How'd you get one?"

James shuffled her forward so they would start walking towards the staircase, "It's a old family heirloom."

Indeed, as they passed by mirrors in the hallways Lily saw no sign of her or James. If she hadn't have been accustomed to magic by now she would've thought she was going insane. Although, with as close as she was too James currently...she was going insane anyways. He had his hands clasped around her waist to keep her close. Sometimes their closeness wasn't enough and Lily saw her feet peek out from underneath the cloak.

They were walking slowly. So slowly that her footsteps were matching his perfectly and she could hear his relaxed breathing at her right ear. It was invigorating, walking invisibly across the hallways of Hogwarts. Portrait's didn't follow them with their eyes and Filch the Caretaker didn't even look up from his post as they passed. Finally they reached the Gryffindor common room and James let go of her waist but he didn't pull the fabric off their heads.

Lily turned slowly, tying her fingers into her red hair to keep it out of her eyes as she turned. The torchlight shone through the silky fabric and James' eyes, always so full of light, were shadowy. Tonight they were shimmering golden, as golden as his personality. His hands, dropped useless by his side, twitched as her eyes traced the shadow of hair on his chin. He reached up with one of his hands and Lily's eyes followed the fingers that lifted a strand of hair from her face. His other hand came up and Lily thought for a second he was going to touch her cheek but instead James lifted the invisibility cloak from their heads.

The world seemed to fall back into place without the security of the invisibility cloak wrapped around them.

"Thank you for walking me back." She whispered when his hand dropped, "I had fun tonight."

James swallowed, hazel eyes tracing her face one more time, "I wish—"

Something flashed across his face, and for a second Lily thought he might kiss her. She took one step forward but then James did something she didn't expect—he took one step back.

She protested as he stepped onto the first step on the staircase, "Do you fancy me?"

"Let's flip the tables," James walked backwards down the staircase, his hands gripping the bannisters, "Do  _ you _ fancy  _ me _ ?"

"Yes."

James paused, almost like her words had caused him to reconsider abandoning her in front of the Gryffindor common room. His hazel eyes seemed to glow and one of his hands shot to his hair. Lily smiled at him, really  _ smiled _ , her cheeks actually hurt from the corners of her mouth stretching as far as they could. She was about to take a few steps towards him when reality sent a reminder—a reminder in the form of her boyfriend coming out of the portrait hole.

"Lil." Nigel looked like he'd just woken up, "Where've you been? Marlene and I have been looking for you."

"Sorry." But she didn't say that to Nigel, her eyes were still attached to James on the staircase.

"Well then," James said ominously as Nigel let his eyes flurry between the couple in confusion, "You're in quite the predicament, aren't you Evans?"

She felt her heart skip a beat as his earnest chuckle echoed down the hall and rang through her ears like her favorite song.

Lily planned on confronting James the next day at breakfast but inexplicably, he and Sirius were both gone. They didn't show up to any classes either. Finally, Lily's curiosity got the better of her when she stood in the hallway before Defense and saw Peter walking up to the doorway alone. She grabbed Peter's elbow before he managed to pass the group of students hanging out by the door.

Peter regarded her suspiciously as she dragged him away from the group of people.

"What's going on?" Peter complained, "Class starts in two Lily."

"Where're James and Sirius?"

Peter's eyes flashed suddenly, as if he knew now why she was talking to him, "They had to go home."

"Home?"

"Yeah," Peter nodded as he pulled two sugar quills from his book bag and passed her the blue one, "Mrs. Potter went into the Hospital last night."

Lily almost dropped the sugar quill, "James' mum is in the Hospital?"

"Yeah, she was diagnosed with dragon pox." Peter nodded, "and James' parents are pretty old so it's serious."

"When did they leave?"

"Sirius and James left this morning."

"When will they be back?"

Peter looked sad, "Dunno, not soon enough."

Lily had to say that she agreed with Peter. Lily went through her classes, her eyes attached to the two empty chairs where James and Sirius normally sat. Remus sat with Lily in potions and Peter made sure to sit between Lily and Remus in Transfiguration. Even with Peter and Remus though, Lily's heart felt like it was missing a giant chunk. Nigel noticed her sad forlorn looks when she got to dinner and confronted her outside the hall when they walked back to the common room together.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I've known you for six years. What's wrong?" Nigel asked with his eyebrows creased.

Lily huffed and pushed back her red hair with one hand, "James and Sirius are gone."

"James?" Nigel looked confused, "James Potter?"

"His mum is in the hospital." Lily nodded dejectedly, "Isn't it awful?"

Nigel hummed, lost in his thoughts, and then he stupidly asked, "When does Potter get back?"

"I don't know." Lily exhaled, "Probably whenever his mum gets better—why?"

"Lily don't you see?" Nigel yanked on her arm spiritedly, "Hufflepuff plays Slytherin for the cup on Saturday!"

"So?"

"So," Nigel insinuated, "If Potter's gone then Hufflepuff's team is going to lose—and guess who's in line for the Quidditch cup if Hufflepuff crashes?"

He looked rather like Christmas had come early and it appalled Lily, "Nigel, Potter's mum is in the hospital and all you're worried about is the Quidditch cup?"

Nigel rolled his eyes, "Please, Potter would be saying the same thing if it were my mum."

"No he wouldn't." Lily said frostily.

"Yes he would." Nigel snorted, "In fact, he'd probably put my mum in the Hopsital."

"That's an awful thing to say," Lily said, tears floating in her eyes as she pulled Nigel to the stop in the hallway, "He'd probably bake your mum bloody cupcakes—or draw her a letter—he's-Nigel you'd get along with him if you'd get over your bloody pride."

Nigel stared at her, mouth open, eyes narrowed, "You—you  _ like _ him?"

"Yes."

Nigel looked rather like she'd shot him, "Why?"

"He's a good guy."

"He's literally  _ not _ a good guy." Nigel said, "He picks fights on the quidditch field, I saw him jinx a third year two weeks ago, and I don't like the way he looks at you..."

Lily raised her eyebrows and said bravely, "I like the way he looks at me."

Nigel blinked once, twice, and then a third time before saying, "what?"

Lily sniffed and raised her nose in the area, "I like the way James looks at me." She hissed, "Because at least he  _ looks _ instead of worrying about bloody NEWTs scores or stupid quidditch games."

Nigel stared, "Well then maybe you should date him instead."

"Maybe I  _ will _ ."

Lily turned on her heel, tears flooding her vision, and she stomped off to the grounds. She spent until curfew walking along the lakeside. Word traveled fast and almost all of Lily's friends were crying for her to reconsider by the time she made it back to the common room. They all tried to convince her to apologize for Nigel. They all told her she was being stupid—that she and Nigel were perfect for each other.

Lily told her friends to shove it before she jinxed them.

Of course, she could count on the word traveling to James and Sirius too. The next day she received an owl from Sirius. The letter was written hastily in Sirius' messy scribbling but Lily treasured it the moment she opened it.

_ Dear Evans, _

_ Peter wrote that you broke up with babyington while James is MIA. You couldn't have done it two days ago when we were at Hogwarts? Now, because of your poor timing, I have to deal with James alone. Merlin, Evans, when I told James the news he choked over his vegan crisps. There's no one here to help make fun of James with me because his parents bloody worship him. Mum Potter keeps calling James her 'precious cupcake' whenever he brings her tea. _

_ Sirius _

_ ps _

_ I cannot believe I'm writing this for you to keep as blackmail forever but I actually miss your existence in my life Evans. _

Lily happily tucked Sirius' letter into her trunk before she wrote back her very simple reply.

_ Sirius, _

_ I hope the Potter's are all right, I was so sad when I heard. Thanks for begin such a good friend. I miss you more. _

_ Lily _

_ ps _

_ Tell that precious, vegan cupcake that I say hello. _

  
  



	3. Seventh Year

The flames in the fireplace crackled merrily as Gryffindor common room filled to capacity while the house celebrated victory against Ravenclaw in the final quidditch match of the season. Nigel was preforming a victory speech in front of whoever would listen. Despite conveniently forgetting that Hufflepuff had still won the cup notwithstanding James' absence, Nigel was living on top of the world since he'd announced he took a beater position with the Wizbang Whombats.

Lily sat by the fireplace, sipping a cup of pumpkin juice while her friends talked around her. They were all making plans for the summer and originally Lily had been listening but now she was lost in a daydream. Lily's eyes were glazed as she stared over Dorcas' shoulder into the flickering fireplace. The red and orange hues casted a mesmerizing spell on her mind as she sipped her drink amongst the crowd of girls.

"What's  _ he _ doing here?" Marlene asked suddenly from beside Dorcas.

Lily tore her eyes from the fireplace to observe Marlene's eyes fixed on someone behind Lily. Lily's heart skipped a beat, already having a inkling as to who Marlene was talking about by her appalled tone. Lily only knew of one person who could elicit such reactions from the entire Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Lily!"

Lily stood up off the sofa and turned eagerly towards the sound of his voice. He stood by the portrait hole, bold as brass, Sirius right next to him grinning widely. The air around him shimmered golden from the torches and his hair glowed like coal. All of a sudden it was like the entire world shifted to match his golden aura. Lily felt her heart skip a beat when his smile grew even wider once their eyes met through the crowded common room.

James was back at Hogwarts.

"James."

He wore the same yellow sweater he'd worn the night he'd crashed the Gryffindor party in fifth year and it was tighter around the shoulders. Lily watched as Sirius slightly shoved James' shoulder in her direction, giving James the push he needed to push through the students drinking and socializing. Lily was aware of eyes on her as she also made her way through the crowd, eyes trained on James' form. She could've cared less about what anyone thought as she and James finally made it to each other through the crowd.

Silence fell, anticipation fluttering in the air between them. James' hazel eyes traced her body and before he could say anything, Lily flew up onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his keenly. Her fists wrapped into the yellow fabric of his sweater as James brought his own hands to her cheeks to press into her kiss resolutely. His fingers were soft against her cheek and she felt tingles to her toes as she pulled away to measure his expression. His eyes flashed open and they were still close enough to each other that she could see the shadows in his irises as they both processed their first kiss.

"I ought to go away more often."

"Don't you dare." she let go of his sweater to toss her arms over his shoulders.

He seemed dazed from her affections and she  _ loved _ it.

"Is this your way of saying you fancy me?"

"You  _ knew _ I fancied you." She reminded him, "You're the one who wouldn't tell me if you fancied me."

"Yeah, well, I quite fancy you too," he tucked a finger under her chin so she could see him wink, "even if you are a Gryffindor."

Lily laughed and rolled her eyes before she pressed her lips back to his heartily. In James' arms she was unaware of the stares coming from her fellow housemates. They ditched the party with Remus, Sirius, and Peter. The five of them took a long walk around the lake as James and Sirius updated them on James' mum (and Sirius' new motorbike). All the while, James kept at least one of his hands touching Lily. It was as if he wanted to make sure she was genuine.

A slight touch at her back when they were on a steep hill.

A hand on her shoulder as Sirius and Remus skipped rocks on the lake.

A sneaky finger against her jaw to tilt her face up for a kiss as the small party grew quiet.

When Lily made it back to the common room after a third lap around the lake with the boys, Lily's heart was in jitters. She felt like she was soaring thanks to the boy who kissed her softly and tasted sweet like the cupcakes he baked. Her good mood quickly dissipated when her friends accosted her as soon as she opened the door to the seventh year girls' dorm. They had all been seated in a circle on the floor, likely gossiping. Marlene jumped to her feet at the sight of Lily.

"When Nigel told you to date James Potter, he didn't mean it  _ literally _ !" Marlene said heatedly, getting right to the point.

Lily pulled her hair over her shoulder to start braiding it for bed, "Nice to see you too, Marlene."

Amelia Spinnet, another member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team stared up at Lily with a look of betrayal, "You should've seen Nigel's face when you kissed Potter tonight."

"Nigel made his own bed." Lily said with a snap. "He's the one who said James would've cursed someones  _ mum _ just to win the quidditch cup."

"He  _ would _ !" Amelia and Marlene cried dramatically.

Lily rolled her eyes, "James wouldn't cheat. That goes against like, every Hufflepuff moral standard in the world."

"Hufflepuff or not," Marlene narrowed her eyes at Lily, "He's ruthless Lil, how do you think he led Hufflepuff to championship?"

"James?" Lily asked, face serious, " _ I  _ dunno _ , talent?" _

Dorcas laughed into her hand and Marlene put her hands on her hips, "I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it." Lily said, "But I'd appreciate if you give him a bloody chance."

"Lily you're friends with the entire Gryffindor quidditch team."

"So?"

"No, Lily, listen..." Marlene said while Amelia nodded beside her, "I'm certain he's using you."

"Using me for  _ what _ ?" Lily snorted humorlessly.

"I  _ bet _ he's just trying to get close to you so he can use you to get Gryffindor plays for next quidditch season."

Lily went red; "Marlene, I assure you that James has never  _ once _ asked me about Gryffindor plays."

Marlene huffed, "Yet."

Amelia sniffed importantly, "Not to mention he's the reason we lost the cup two years in a row."

"Oh my god," Lily glared at Amelia, "Hufflepuff won the quidditch cup fair and square, Amy."

"Lily, he's the  _ worst _ ." Marlene grabbed Lily's arm, pleading her to see reason.

Lily pushed Marlene's hand away; "He's the literal opposite of the word  _ worst _ ."

Marlene blinked at Lily, "You really, actually like him?"

"Yes." Lily said, "I really, actually do."

It was hard  _ not _ to like James. The last week of school he kept Lily sane by bringing her cute little notes in the morning at breakfast, all of which she kept tucked in her trunk. At night he'd help her study in the Library and they'd make plans for the summer. James sat next to her at the Gryffindor table during the last night at Hogwarts. They both ignored the stares coming from their respective tables, too caught up in Sirius' plans for his motorbike to pay attention.

Most of Gryffindor had accepted the couple but when Quidditch was involved—suddenly it was life or death. James' team had apparently warned him that he was playing a dangerous game dating the ex-girlfriend of the rival team captain. Lily was certain Marlene and Amelia were plotting to uncover James' plans to woo Lily into telling him all of Gryffindor's secrets. The entire Gryffindor team turned their backs on the couple when they were together.

James thought it was hilarious of course.

"I've never seen such a level of petty—and I live with Sirius." James said as he and Lily patrolled the train corridors together on their way back to London.

"Marlene's hated you ever since you stole the quaffle from her in flying seminar in first year." Lily patted James' chest playfully. "And the rest of the team idolizes Marlene..."

James grinned back, "Why? She's a little slow on her passes."

Lily pinched James, "Hey, be nice. She's the best Gryffindor's got."

"She is better than Babbington." James rolled his eyes, "I can't believe he got picked up by the Wombats. Git."

Lily laughed at James' sour expression. His hair was chaotically spread across his head and his glasses were sliding down his face as he eyed her over the rims.

"Are you still on to come to my place on the sixteenth?" he asked suddenly.

"Why?"

"Care to make it tomorrow instead?" He grinned boldly. "I think five days will be a little long to not hear your laugh..."

He was so charming sometimes that Lily almost wanted to roll her eyes but she knew his behavior was entirely genuine and  _ that's _ what made her knees weak. She tried to shove off the feeling of complete and total adoration (and the sudden urge to snog him senseless) by joking with him.

"No, I cant."

"Why not?" he furrowed his brow.

"I've got to meet my boyfriend for a snog."

"Damn." James waggled his eyebrows, "What a lucky bloke."

Lily patted James' chest again before considering the cute way that his glasses were tilted on his nose. He was a little red around the ears, a result of her teasing, and his jaw was set tight as he thought to himself. James caught her eyes tracing the curve of his jaw and his lopsided grin was instantly restored.

"Sorry." She apologized for staring at him but she didn't mean it.

James didn't look forlorn by her gaze. In fact, James looked motivated to get to their undecided destination faster.

"Come with me."

She respected the way he tugged on her hand to get her to follow his swift movements through the train. She found herself struggling to keep up with his long legs weaving in and out of the students. Luckily, James turned into an empty compartment three doors down from where they had started. The door had no more than locked behind Lily's shoulder before his lips found hers keenly. He was so tall and if Lily didn't stand on her tiptoes James had to bend his knees and lean into the door, thereby leaning into her.

Lily couldn't complain.

The cool back of the sliding compartment door pressed into her skin as she reached up to curl her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. He was wearing his robes, standard for a wizard, but she was in jeans and a purple shirt since she was heading back into the muggle world. James seemed to like her outfit choice as his fingers looped into the belt loops of her jeans, pulling her hips into him.

It was chemical and magical, the way he could suddenly make her heart race and her mind turn to goo. Throwing caution to the wind, Lily tightened her fingers in his hair and caught his lower lip with a shameless tug of her own mouth that soon had them both desiring more with searing grazes of tongue and teeth.

And his hands,  _ God _ , his hands traced the sides of her arms. His fingers danced across her cheeks. He explored the edges of her shirt with his thumb. He pressed his palms into her bare skin. Every stroke of his tongue against her lips, every tickle against her neck, and every sigh into her mouth made Lily question if she ever wanted to get off the damn train.

Unfortunately, real life called when the train whistle blew through the cabins and broke James' attentiveness to her neck.

Lily proudly walked hand-in-hand onto the platform with James. Sirius and Remus had spotted them and Remus was the first to note their disheveled looks. Sirius looked rather like Christmas had come early and waggled his eyebrows in Lily's direction. Remus nudged Peter and Peter glanced back as James helped Lily get her trunk.

"Got a rash on your neck Evans?" Peter eyed Lily with a spirited grin.

"I've got a good topical for that." Remus snickered as Lily quickly brushed her red hair over her neck.

"You'll need a lot more hair than  _ that _ ."

"Shove off Peter." Lily mumbled as James chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss to her temple.

"Atta boy Prongs." Sirius clapped James on the back proudly and Lily rolled her eyes at the boys and their teasing.

"I'm going to go now."

James was still laughing and he tugged her back into his side so she couldn't escape, "Hold on," he told her, "I want one more kiss."

"The entire train ride wasn't enough?" Remus hissed to Peter but made sure to leave his voice at a normal tone so James and Lily could hear him.

James ignored Remus and instead leaned down to press a quick kiss on her lips. Lily was smiling again by the time James leaned away. Marlene looked as if Lily had shot her with a stunning curse when she walked past them.

"Have a good summer Marlene." Lily called after her friend.

"See you later Lily." Marlene didn't look at Lily; her eyes were fastened on James' face.

"I think your friends are a little shocked." James whispered into her ear as Lily gathered her trunk up.

"Why?" Lily asked, huffing as her trunk was heavy with books for the summer.

James shrugged as he looked down at her, "I'm the Hufflepuff foe, remember?"

Lily shook her head; "Marlene won't like you until you lose at Quidditch."

"And that'll never happen." James scoffed.

"We'll just have to find you another redeeming quality."

She was lying of course; James didn't need a redeeming quality.

He was everything she never knew she needed.

Lily gave James one more kiss and she hugged the other boys before making her way to the pick up area where her mum would be waiting for her in the car. The summer wasn't her favorite, going back to live at home while her sister was home from school turned into a nightmare. Both girls had never seen eye to eye and the time separated had only gotten worse. Petunia hated magic and anything that wasn't ordinary so when James' first owl arrived—Petunia had a mental breakdown at the bloody breakfast table.

Lily found peace by visiting her friends for ice cream in Diagon Alley and when he wasn't off with the boys, Lily spent her days with James at his house.

One hot July day, after a bad argument with her sister, Lily made her way to the old Potter cottage in Godric's Hollow. She had been to the cottage three times before and the Potter's always made her feel at home. Mrs. Potter opened the door when Lily knocked and immediately smiled. Mrs. Potter didn't act like someone who had a recent stint at the hospital. She dressed in lovely high-necked periwinkle robes and her hair was up in a perfectly smoothed bun. She reminded Lily of a warmer version of Professor McGonagall at school.

"Lily," Mrs. Potter beamed at the sight of Lily on her stoop, "Come in!"

Lily entered the foyer and was immediately greeted by Mr. Potter, a tall man with thick glasses and tangled curls reminiscent of his son.

"Lily." Mr. Potter used his cane to make his way over and shake her hand, "What a surprise!"

"I hope I'm not intruding," Lily told James' parents, "I—"

"No need to worry!" Mrs. Potter looked alarmed at the thought of Lily feeling as if she were intruding, "James is in the kitchen!"

"Of course he is." Lily said with half a laugh.

Mrs. Potter walked Lily along the hall and to the left where, through an open doorway, Lily heard music blaring and pots clanging. Lily loved the quaint cottage. It was filled to the brim with odd wizard artifacts and moving pictures. When she got her own place after Hogwarts she imagined she wanted it to be as homey as the Potter's cottage.

When she entered the kitchen she was accosted by a screech owl wearing a golden tassel on its claw. The owl sat on her shoulder and ruffled it's feathers excitedly. Lily giggled as the owl nipped at her red hair affectionately.

"Hello Chicken." Lily cooed to the small owl.

Mrs. Potter called over the music and thereby capturing the attention of the boy stirring a large bowl in the middle of the kitchen, "James, you have company!"

His black hair had a dusting of white flour in it, his fingers were covered in sugar, and his shirt had become un-tucked in his cooking adventures. He was shining with enthusiasm and when he turned to look at Lily, she felt as if she were under a burning sun.

"Lily!" James exclaimed, putting down his bowl instantly to walk barefoot across the kitchen towards her.

He moved slowly, wiping his hands on his thighs as Lily swept into his space and promptly pulled him into a hug. Lily smiled into his chest, leaning her cheek against his soft shirt. His arms were tight around her shoulders, keeping her in place so she couldn't escape—even if she wanted too. He smelled like artificial cinnamon, the same kind used at Christmastime.

Chicken, James' fathers owl, seemingly had enough of their embrace because he nibbled James' ear and James pulled out of Lily's arms to swat at the little bird. Lily and Mrs. Potter laughed as the owl immediately screeched at James and tried to peck him again.

"You have competition James." Mrs. Potter fussed, coming over to take the little owl from Lily's shoulder.

"Stupid bird." James pulled at his earlobe where Chicken had bit him.

Mrs. Potter cooed at the little owl, "You know he doesn't mean it."

"I do mean it!" James rolled his eyes, "Chicken has hated me since the day I was born."

"Well you did manage to throw your pacifier at him, dear." Mrs. Potter reminded James and Lily sniggered when James shrugged.

Mrs. Potter left calling for her husband to retrieve his owl before James turned it into a new ingredient for his cupcakes. James waited for his mum and the owl to clear the room before assessing Lily. He noticed her red-rimmed eyes and his sugarcoated fingers reached around her neck to pull her in.

"Bad day?" her surmised.

"Yes." Lily sighed theatrically, "My sister and I fought  _ again _ ."

"Don't say another word," he kissed her forehead softly and she melted under his kindhearted gesture, "I'm making cupcakes for tea...stay and help...baking is good for stress relief."

A real smile broke her features as he pulled her slowly backwards towards the kitchen table. Lily let him sit her down but she was sad when he left her completely to turn back to his bowl filled with yellow batter. She had been hoping he'd give her a decent snog or two before letting her out of his arms.

"Nothing better to cheer you up than cupcakes," James said cheerfully, stirring his mixture with his wand.

"Are they gonna be laced with firewhiskey?" Lily commented dryly and James chortled.

"No," he admitted, "Those are for special occasions only."

Lily sighed deeply and James winked her way as he returned to his baking. She fell into a reverie watching James mix ingredients together. His jaw was tight as he meticulously poured batter into little cups. His eyes were focused as he made icing from scratch, using his wand to mix the ingredients in a pot.

"Mind getting me a stick of butter from the chiller?" he asked.

Lily nodded and stood up and began looking amongst all the cold things for a stick of butter.

"Butter me up," he called from the kitchen table, "Buttercup."

Lily rolled her eyes at his puns and grinned when she saw the packet of cheese. Lily grabbed it and said James' name to get his attention. James turned and held out a hand. She tossed the cheese his way and he caught it easily. He stared at the block of cheese in his hand in confusion, aware that it wasn't butter.

"You're a bit cheesy, James."

The laugh started in his stomach, he held the cheese to his chest as he doubled over laughing. Lily laughed too as she grabbed the stick of butter and walked it over to James, replacing the cheese for the butter. James placed both on the counter so he could wrap his arms around her waist and rock her back and forth as he laughed. She was beaming up at him, loving the carefree way he laughed.

She was so caught up in his laughter that she missed when one of his hands snuck towards a package on the table next to them.

"You know what lilies are?" he asked suddenly.

"Is that a trick quest—ugh—James!"

She was suddenly covered in white powder. Her hair, her face, and her shirt...they were all covered from James' sneak attack.

James grinned evilly as he surveyed his damage with clever eyes, "Flour."

Lily rubbed her face with the ends of her shirt as James laughed so much he actually had tears streaming down his face. He was using the table for support and Lily gave up trying to get the flour off her and instead focused on enacting her revenge. She grabbed the nearest thing; a spatula covered in chocolate frosting, and swiped it across his cheek.

By the time they were both on the floor laughing at each other, they had cupcake ingredients on various parts of their bodies. Mrs. Potter entered the kitchen sometime later, took one look at the mess and turned around.

"When I get back in twenty minutes this mess better be cleaned!" she called to the couple laughing drunkenly on the floor.

Once James had successfully removed egg shell from his curls and Lily had managed to use a mirror to clean flour off her eyelids they got to work cleaning up the mess they'd made. Lily scrubbed the floor by the table while James iced the cupcakes they'd made together.

"Why do you like baking so much?" Lily asked through the comforting silence.

James shrugged as he licked a bit of icing from his wrist, "Dunno," he replied, "I guess it's just what I do when I want to think..."

"What are you thinking about right now?" Lily stood up and placed her wet rag on the counter as she leaned over James' shoulder to look at the cupcakes they'd baked.

James shot her a crooked smile, "You."

It wasn't often that James could catch her off-guard and make a steady blush appear on her cheeks but he accomplished it just then. She lowered her eyes to try and hide the blush, instead focusing on the kitchen table and the flour dusting the wood.

Lily almost jumped when his hand reached for hers. Their fingers interlocked and she looked up into his eyes to see he was staring at her with impossibly rich hazel eyes. Lily smiled when she saw how worried he looked. Lily reached out with her thumb to wipe a bit of chocolate frosting from the side of his mouth. James' eyes followed her every movement meticulously.

"Mum always told me that good things come to those who bake." James said softly, "And she was right. I met you."

He was overwhelming and fervent and soft all at once.

Lily was certain that if she didn't love him then, she certainly loved him after. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his appreciatively. James seemed startled for a second and then she felt his lips relax as his spare hand came to rest against her cheek.

It was like a montage in a movie—a summer so sickeningly sweet that it felt almost like a dream. James was an adventurer and dragged Lily into his quests. They climbed to a waterfall on the Scottish countryside. They found themselves covered in salt and sand on a sunny beach after a picnic. Sirius and James egged her onto a flying motorbike. Remus and Lily sat under the shade of some oak trees eating cupcakes as Sirius, Peter, and James collected frogspawn for James' father one late August evening. James kissed Lily fervently under a late summer thunderstorm until they were both soaked to the bone.

It was a summer to remember but Lily couldn't wait to return to Hogwarts for her last year of school. She had a feeling it was going to be a good year, especially now that she had James at her side. The best part was that she and James had both been awarded Head Boy and Girl. Sirius made fun of both of them after they opened their letters but Lily knew that Sirius was secretly proud of them.

The Hogwarts Express was jam packed full of students heading back to Hogwarts after summer vacation. The Gryffindor girls had commandeered a compartment near the back and were shouting over each other as the train chugged them along the English countryside. A rigorous game of exploding snap was happening by the windows but Lily was sitting with Dorcas and Marlene farthest from the game. Marlene had her feet kicked up on Lily's lap and Dorcas was braiding Marlene's curly hair while Lily tried to talk up James.

Marlene was pretending not to hear her.

"Hey Lily."

The sound of his voice made Lily's heart race. There was something about him that was rendering her jelly on the insides. The death glare Marlene sent James was the complete opposite of Lily's exuberant expression. Lily moved Marlene over to make room for James who fell into the seat beside her and tossed an arm around her shoulders.

"James, Marlene." Lily said, "Marley, James."

"We have met." Marlene replied sharply, looking James up and down with distaste, "Seeing his skinny arse on the quidditch pitch is quite enough for one lifetime."

"Bitter looks good on you Mckinnon," James put a hand on his heart, pretending to be hurt but Lily saw that he was amused by Marlene's distaste.

"And pompous prick looks great on you, Potter." Marlene shot James the bird and James just laughed.

Lily huffed melodramatically, "You are  _ both _ idiots."

Marley shook her head and stood up, "I'm going to sit with the rest of the team..."

"She's great." James hissed to Lily.

"I hate you."

"Liar."

Marlene was determined to believe James was using Lily to get information on Quidditch.

Marlene said nothing else on the matter but Lily didn't miss the daggers shot in James' direction by her friend. Things only got worse as the school year continued and quidditch season started in November. In December, James quarreled with Marlene over practice times and the two could barely look at each other. By March, Lily was ready to lock Marlene and James in a room until they admitted they would get along if they got over their stupid arrogance.

"He hasn't asked you for any tips?" Marlene asked Lily for the hundredth time.

"Marlene even if he did ask, I wouldn't tell him anything."

And Lily would betray Gryffindor, it was her house after all, but she knew that if James asked her that she would always tell him the truth. It was scary how quickly he'd broken down her walls. The next day James met Lily outside by the lake where she was studying alone, keeping her mind occupied so it wouldn't wander.

"Hullo Evans." James fell to the ground beside her and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek, "I was wondering if you could give me a play by play of Gryffindor's defense strategy."

Lily's eyes shot up in shock only to see James' eyes crinkled with hilarity. Lily dropped her book in her lap and leaned back on her hands.

"They aren't using a defense." Lily joked, "Marlene is playing every role, by herself. She fired the whole team last night."

"Blimey," James reveled, "I've got the cup in the bag!"

"Funny," Lily said sarcastically, "that's exactly what Marlene said."

"I heard Marlene was worried last night."

"How did you hear that?"

"I have my Gryffindor spies."

"Sirius?" Lily guessed.

"McKinnon was telling McDuff about it at breakfast actually." James quipped, "And you know McKinnon likes to make her voice travel when she's badmouthing other house captains."

"Ah." Lily smiled and nudged his shoulder with her own, "You didn't seem like the type to listen to gossip."

"I do when my name is dropped." James grinned, "Especially when it's coming out of McKinnon's mouth."

"You're both being stubborn arses."

"I tried playing nice," james defended himself, "And then she stole Hufflepuff's pitch times!"

Lily glared at James and pinched his side, "You did have your team signed on for a nightly practice every night."

"We need the practice!"

"You're league champions!"

"Yeah," James argued back, "Because we practice every day!"

"Obsessed." Lily fake coughed.

"Whatever, Hufflepuff is still going to crush Gryffindor's arse in Quidditch next week."

"Oi," Lily leaned forward to kiss his neck sweetly, "Don't badmouth my house unless you're prepared to duel me."

James leaned into her as she impishly nipped at his skin, "Speaking of house loyalties...are you going to wear your boyfriend's house colors to the game?"

"No." She continued kissing his neck so he could feel the curve of her smile.

"Evans." James mumbled grumpily.

Lily pulled away from his neck to glare at him, "Hufflepuff isn't my house."

"Wish it was."

"Hufflepuff is packed with vegetarians."

"I'm literally like, the  _ only _ vegetarian."

She leaned forward again to place her lips against his ear. "I heard a rumor that their quidditch captain bakes cupcakes for fun...what a softy."

"Oh?" James pretended to think. "I've heard of him. Isn't he that dashing bloke with the perfect hair?"

"He's super weird," Lily teased, "He's got a great girlfriend though. She's stellar at snogging and has nice tits..."

"She sounds fake."

"Fake, my arse." Lily laughed out loud and James swiped her book from her lap, standing up quickly.

"Hey!" she continued laughing as she stood up to follow him and grab her book back.

James leaned down so that their faces were inches apart. "Admit Hufflepuff is a cooler house than Gryffindor."

Lily struggled to keep her face straight but her lips twitched, "Never."

James sighed, as if disappointed, holding her book farther away from her grasp and towards the water, "The giant squid will love to read about healing potions!"

"James Potter don't you dare!"

His hazel eyes sparkled behind his glasses as he kept the book from her reach. She grabbed onto his forearm and yanked but to no avail. James and Lily laughed as they wrestled each other by the lakeside, the sunset beating down on their shoulders. Lily jumped to try and catch the edge of the book with her fingertips and James caught her around the waist so that she couldn't trip and fall.

His hand at her waist brought her in close so that their bodies were pressing into each other and she could feel her heart beating erratically as the playful mood shifted into something much more serious. Slowly, he lowered the book as her fingers became wound up in his robes. In a matter of seconds the book was on the ground by their feet and Lily's attention was diverted to James' fingertips tracing her face tenderly. She pleaded with her eyes, leaning up on her tiptoes to get closer to his faintly pouted lips.

James closed the space between them eagerly, his mouth attaching to hers with a hurried sort of rush that made it easy for his tongue to start tracing the curves of her mouth. Lily kissed him back with similar fervor, her hands becoming trapped up in his black hair as she leaned into his exploratory mouth. The kisses started getting slower and indulgent. James' hands had settled at her back, keeping her firmly pressed to him. She bit at his lower lip playfully before pulling away to meet his eyes. They were corrupted from her kisses. He was looking at her like he was undressing her right there, in the middle of the grass.

She wouldn't mind that in the slightest.

"Don't look at me like that." Lily warned.

"Like what," he knees nudged her and she took a step backwards, he followed right on her toes.

"Like  _ that _ ."

She giggled as he continued prodding her until her back was firmly planted against the tree she'd been studying by. The willow branches created a sort of private shade as James pushed his hips against her. She felt a slight flush across her cheek as he leaned back down to press a kiss on the corner of her mouth, then again when he kissed her jaw. Lily leaned her head against the bark of the tree and James planted butterfly kisses down her throat.

It wasn't enough; Lily knew it as soon as he started sucking on her pulse point. She would never be able to get enough of him. James couldn't get enough of her either. He couldn't keep his lips to any one part of her. He let his teeth graze her ear and his tongue darted across her neck more than once, turning her into jelly in his arms.

She was using the tree for support now. The bark was pressing into her shirt and scratching into her back as she twisted one of her legs around James' leg to pull him even closer. The shift in bodies only intensified the situation as James challenged her pull with a tilt of his own device that made them both sigh in recognition.

James playfully nipped her ear and she laughed, her hands pressing into his shoulders as his fingers teased open the buttons on her shirt. Lily helped him and they both made quick effort to push aside the fabric in the way of James' hands eliciting goosebumps on her arms. His fingers traced patters into her chest like he was drawing on his notes. He kissed her again, and the combinations together were mind numbing.

James' lips left hers to travel across her jaw towards her ear where he whispered, "I have a confession."

"What?" Lily's reply came out with a shallow gasp caused by a modification in James' hips against hers.

"I wish you were in Hufflepuff." His breath was hot against her ear. "If only so that my teammates wouldn't tease me endlessly about being in love with a Gryffindor."

She smiled shyly. "Love?"

"I love you?"

"I love you too."

"Oh thank Merlin," he sighed dramatically, "I was worried you were using me to get information, so Gryffindor could have a chance at winning the cup."

"You are a traitor to Hufflepuff." Lily goaded as he busied himself at her neck again. "This is probably worse than the time you baked Gryffindor cupcakes after whooping our ars—"

She was unable to finish her sentence because James purposefully covered her mouth with his own mouth, rendering her speechless. They only stopped their antics after Lily's neck was properly marked from James' mouth, and James was properly tousled (all over) from Lily's wandering fingers.

As they walked back up to the castle once they'd both cooled down James asked, "did you really mean it?"

"Mean what?" Lily had her hand clasped in his tightly, not ready to let go of him just yet.

"Do you really love me?" He asked, tugging on her hair a bit.

"Yes." She paused on the top step of the castle. "Why?"

James had a wicked twinkle in his eyes. "Well, if you  _ really _ loved me you'd wear my jersey to the game."

She laughed at his shit grin. "I'm a proud Gryffindor—loving you or not—I won't betray my own house."

James puckered his lips. "So, you won't wear my jersey?"

"Not unless you want your girlfriend to be burned at the stake."

James begged her more but she refused to lay her loyalties over to Hufflepuff. Deep, deep down she hoped Hufflepuff would win just for James but she was still a Gryffindor and wanted her team to come out the champions. The day of the big game she wore red and gold stripes on her cheeks with the other Gryffindors as she cheered in the stands.

"And Hufflepuff chaser James Potter scores again!"

The collective groan on the Gryffindor side of the stadium could be heard at the castle. The only students in scarlet cheering happened to be Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Lily had her arms crossed as she settled beside Mary so that she couldn't clap for her boyfriend. High above, Marlene was getting her arse kicked by a bludger for the eighth time and James' quaffle had flown through the Gryffindor hoops at least five different times.

"Come on James!" Sirius shouted, earning looks from his fellow Gryffindors, "Kick their arse!"

"Whose side are you on?" Dorcas roared at Sirius who simply started cheering for James louder.

Lily's eyes tracked the boy with the messy black hair in bright yellow robes as he weaved and dodged through Gryffindor players. He didn't even flinch as a bludger narrowly missed his face and he barrel rolled out of the way when Marlene came zooming in at hyper speed to knock him off his broom.

"Foul!" The quidditch commentator screamed. "McKinnon's trying to knock Potter off his broom!"

The entire crowd watched as Marlene barrel rolled back at James, her fingers reaching to grab the quaffle in his hands. James then did something that the rest of the school would be talking about for the rest of the week. James threw the quaffle up with both hands and dove down. The quaffle and James cleared Marlene but Marlene, who had picked up too much speed, crashed into the nearest stands, sending students scattering. All of Gryffindor jumped up as James caught the quaffle, looking mighty pleased. Lily's eyes were trapped on Marlene, who had fallen off her broom and was on the ground.  Whispers erupted through the stadium.

"Is she okay?"

Marlene got up with help from a benched teammate just as James scored another goal. Five minutes later, the Hufflepuff seeker Amanda Jordan caught the snitch and the game was over. The Gryffindor's walked back to their common room in shame, everyone's spirits drained. Marlene was taken to the Hospital Wing and the Gryffindor girls decided to pay her a visit with butterbeer nicked from their room room.

"I cannot believe that asshole beat us again." Marlene complained to the entire group of Gryffindors. "I almost had him!"

"Potter looked upset when you didn't get back up." Mary said of James kindly.

"I hope he gets pushed down the stairs and he breaks a hip and can  _ never _ play again." Marlene said angrily. "He purposely stole the quaffle from  _ me _ ten seconds in just to infuriate me—I guarantee it."

"Hufflepuff would be nothing without him." Amelia said, looking like someone had drowned her cat.

Mary gossiped, "I heard Professor Sprout tell James that she didn't want him to graduate because Hufflepuff hasn't had a winning streak like this since the school first opened and Helga Hufflepuff herself played..."

"Yeah, cause his ego needs a boost like that." Lily laughed, crossing her legs on the bed and winking at Marlene who frowned. "Justified or not."

"He's not even that great."

"He's  _ pretty _ good."

"You only like him because he snogs you."

"There are plenty of other reasons I like my boyfriend besides his snogging." Lily scoffed but before Marlene could do anything they were interrupted.

"James would be honored to know he's the topic of conversation."

Everyone looked up to see that Remus Lupin had entered the Hospital Wing. Despite the circles under his eyes and the pallid tone to his skin that alluded to sickness, Remus was smiling like he wasn't sick every other week. In his hands, he held bright yellow cupcakes piled high on a tin.

"Shouldn't you be celebrating, traitor?" Marlene snapped irritably at Remus, who had been cheering James on in the game.

Lily cut in before Remus could answer, pointing to the tray of cakes in his hands. "Remus, why do you have a tray of cupcakes?"

"They're a peace offering."

"A peace offering?" Lily felt her smile widening. "You feel  _ that _ bad for cheering against your own house in the game?"

"They're from James." Remus turned his cool eyes on Marlene. "He feels pretty bad about you being in the hospital wing."

"Good." Marlene crossed her arms pointedly.

"Why isn't he here himself?" Lily asked, looking around for her boyfriend.

"Sirius wouldn't let James deliver the cupcakes because he feared for James' life."

"Why?"

"On account of Marlene shouting  _ 'James Potter I will fucking murder you _ ' as they dragged her off the field."

"Valid reason."

"He does feel bad." Remus inferred to Lily as the other girls ignored him and his peace cupcakes. "He had no idea McKinnon would lose control of her broom."

"It's probably best he doesn't try to apologize in person." Lily warned Remus as he passed her the tin of cakes. "I want my boyfriend to be able to reproduce one day."

"That's a scary thought," Remus joked, "a little James, wrecking havoc on the school."

"McGonagall will retire."

"Unless the kid took after you." Remus nudged her with a wink.

Lily smirked, "I guess it's a bit early on to think about kids."

"James and Sirius are already planning the wedding."

"You've  _ got _ to be joking."

"I wish I were." Remus snorted, "Sirius and James have both been arguing whether the primary wedding color will be scarlet or yellow."

Lily laughed, "they're so ridiculous."

"I know," Remus grinned, "But you have to love their enthusiasm." 

"I do admire their passion."

Remus waved, "see you around Lily."

"Bye Remus." Lily smiled kindly at Remus. "Thank for the cakes. Tell James to meet me by the lake later?"

"Sure thing."

Remus walked out of the Hospital Wing but not before swiping what looked like a chocolate bar off the nearest table. Lily glanced down at the frosted cupcakes and saw that James had painstakingly drawn smiley faces on them. She had to resist giggling as she walked over to Marlene's bed with the cupcakes.

"Marlene," Lily couldn't control the giggles erupting from her mouth as she shoed the girls the cupcakes. "James decorated them with smiley faces, just for you."

"I hate him."

"He's definitely the worst." Lily established, but she was biting into one of the cupcakes and not at all truthful in her sentiments.

James found Lily outside by the lake, watching the sun go down, a few hours later. She smiled up at him as he leaned over her sitting form. The air was warm for March and James wore a light cloak over his robes that he unfastened as she inspected him.

"Nice playing Hufflepuff."

James let his cloak fall beside her. "I think you're the first Gryffindor who hasn't offered to have me hanged for injuring their Captain."

Lily shook her head, "thanks for making Marlene cupcakes."

James sighed as he fell next to her on the ground. "She still hates me, huh?"

"You could bake her some more cupcakes."

"From what I hear," James said with a crooked grin, "you're the only one who really likes my cupcakes."

"Well, if you keep injecting them with firewhiskey, everyone will love them."

"Did you like the last ones?" He asked excitedly. "I poured an entire butterbeer bottle in the batter."

"I loved them." Lily promised, "especially the smiley faces."

James flushed red at her teasing. "I was hoping they'd pacify McKinnon, but she still wants my head on a spike."

"You did rupture her pride." Lily told James. "She's convinced you have it out for her."

"Nah," James grinned, "I have it out for every bastard on the Gryffindor quidditch team."

"Hey!" Lily pushed his shoulder. "That's my team!"

"I know," James said with a wink, "but I don't hold it against you. We don't choose what houses we're sorted into, the hat just made a mistake with you."

"A mistake?" Lily asked in disbelief, "On me? More like on you!"

"How dare you," James scoffed, "I am the most Hufflepuffiest Hufflepuff there ever was. I was born to be a Hufflepuff. Just like my Mum."

Lily felt off when James' arms unwrapped from around her shoulders, "your mum was a Hufflepuff?"

James nodded eagerly, "Yeah! Dad was a Gryffindor though, it took the sorting hat forever to figure out where to put me."

"I wish you were in Gryffindor." Lily told him honestly.

"Do you?" A muscle in his jaw twitched.

"Yes." She said, "then maybe you and Sirius wouldn't be arguing over what our wedding primary color will be."

"Who told you that?" James flushed, "Remus did, didn't he? That bastard."

"I thought it was funny." Lily told James truthfully, "but why were you and Sirius planning a wedding?"

James itched his jaw. "Er, well, he brought up that if we were to ever get married he wanted to be a best man _and_ a bridesmaid and I told him he couldn't be both."

"Why can't he?" Lily asked.

"Because he can't stand on both sides Lily, he has to be in your wedding party or mine."

"Why not have him stand between us?"

"That's a stupid idea." James scoffed.

"What if he officiated the wedding?" Lily countered, "then he's supporting both of us?"

"I can't believe you're talking as if we're getting engaged." James laughed, running his fingers along her arm.

"I wouldn't say no if you asked," she admitted offhandedly.

"What?" His eyes shot to hers in surprise. "You wouldn't?"

"I meant it when I told you that I loved you." Lily murmured. "People in love get engaged all the time."

His fingers brushed against her face lightly as he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers purposefully slow. He moved his lips against hers with calculated movements, tilting her head so he could easily follow each dreamy kiss with a playful bite. Lily pushed her hands into his hair, pulling him closer to her so that she could change the kisses into slower, passionate kisses.  The trees around them smelled crisp and the shadows moved around them. He pressed a kiss to the side of her mouth, to her jaw, and to her forehead.

Lily leaned back, James' mouth following keenly. The grass tickled her neck as James angled overtop of her, using his elbow as a prop. Lily was deftly aware of every inch of his body against hers and she fought to kiss him without thinking about what else they could be doing. Her efforts were diminished when James purposefully lowered his hips once to show his interest in their current positions. She could feel how hard he was and James smirked against her mouth when she let out a soft hum of appreciation for his clever arrangements.

The minute the sigh fell from her lips his kissing grew more isolated to her mouth, as his fingers began tracing shapes wherever he could reach. Their kisses grew sloppy as Lily raised her hips to meet his more than once; desperate to feel how badly he wanted her, desperate to feel him against her. His thumb traced her lower lip as they sank farther and farther into each other's bodies. Lily needed more form him, more than she was getting, but he was so damn focused on kissing her that he didn't realize she was aching for him to just  _ touch _ her.

Slowly, her arms looped around his neck and one of her legs wrapped around his leg. James smiled against her kisses and one of his hands left from exploring her lower back to gripping her thigh, lifting her enough so that she could get a proper grip. They both broke the kiss they'd been holding and James moaned as she pressed herself closer.

His hands had been pulling at the buttons to get to her skin underneath but when Lily wrapped a leg around him one of his hands went to cup her arse, bringing her closer. His hands started exploring more, hiking her skirt up and traveling along the lines of her lace-lined knickers. She was growing more and more desperate for him to touch her, to do something besides work her up and not do anything about it.

"Touch me," she begged when his fingers dug into her thigh.

"Lily," James half complained, half moaned, as her hands wrapped up in his hair again.

He was unable to tell Lily what he had wanted because Lily had reached between them to grab his hand and shove it pointedly.

"Please," she pleaded, "Just  _ touch _ me."

James pressed his forehead against hers as he did as he was told, moving his hand between them. It was like fucking agony as he traced along her knickers and then she felt dazed when his fingers slipped the fabric aside to press his fingers up between her legs. Lily sighed thankfully and melted into his touch without reservation. Lily's fingernails dug into his skin as she became accustomed to his touch. James took this as encouragement and his fingers made quick work of Lily, delving her into a hazy string of curse words that he caught with his mouth. She had to let her arms fall as he continued, her muscles tight from James' fingers moving experimentally. 

Lily's back arched and the soft moan that escaped her lips included his name like a sweet refrain.  He grinned pompously and brought his lips to hers, stifling her sighs with exaggerated kisses. Lily had to hand it to James; he listened to her every request and constantly asked if what he was doing was right. She didn't know how to tell him that he was fucking amazing, besides sighing and nodding as he made her world turn faster.  When his fingers finally slipped out from underneath her skirt, she was blissful.  She wanted more and didn't even pause to think before her hands were undoing the buttons of his robes hastily. Lily's movements didn't startle James, instead he laughed as she struggled to undress him.

"We're just going to have sex right here?" His voice was husky and she knew he'd never make it inside even if she  _ did _ suggest moving to a more conservative spot, "Lily I—I really want to...but here? Outside?"

"People have sex outside all the time." Lily argued.

"Oh really, who?"

"I dunno." Lily said with a roll of her eyes. "Earthy people. Hippies." She pinched his side playfully. "Vegans."

"Ha. Ha." James teased as she blew hair from her eyes in frustration at the buttons. "We both know people in this school are apt to having sex in the Astronomy tower."

"That tower is too bloody far."

"Yeah but outside is too open," James swallowed thickly as Lily rolled her hips again suggestively. "Lily, someone's bound to catch us...it's almost curfew..."

"Curfew's for nerds."

James' laughter tickled her ear, "guess that makes me a nerd."

Lily followed him into a standing position. She grabbed his hand, looking for a place she could have her way with him that was covered, more private.

"Lily." James was laughing at her, tugging her in the direction of the castle. "Come on...inside..."

Lily opened her mouth to argue but James was already pulling her in the direction of the castle. She decided to fight by cutting in front of him and fastening her mouth to whatever part of him she could reach. James winced and stopped walking as Lily brought her mouth to his again.

"You're a persistent one tonight." 

"I'm a Gryffindor." She remarked casually. "We persevere until we get exactly what we want…"

James swallowed thickly as he processed her affections. "And what exactly do you want?"

" _ You _ ."

"You can have me." Lily perked up but then James shot her down. "Only _if_ you wear my quidditch jersey to the next match."

"That's blackmail!"

"That's compromise!" 

Lily rolled her eyes and swatted him, "You'll never let me live this down."

"Never." James agreed, "but now I hold leverage to get you to at least one game in my jersey."

"And that leverage is that?" Lily asked doubtfully.

James leaned over and whispered in her ear  _ exactly _ what he'd like to do to her if he ever saw her in his quidditch jersey and suddenly, Lily found the thought of wearing the jersey much more appealing when it came with promises of another self-indulgent night with James.

The morning of the Hufflepuff versus Slytherin match Lily arrived in the great hall wearing James' jersey proudly. Her hair was in a messy bun and her cheeks were painted with yellow streaks. James was sitting at the breakfast table with his mates, unaware his fantasy had come to life.

James still had not noticed Lily, he was doing the crossword with Sirius.

"Language for which 'nox' is partially derived?"

"I don't fucking know, how many letters?"

"Five?"

"Roman?"

"Or Greek?"

"Are they the same thing?"

"Morning." Lily said happily to announce her presence.

Sirius turned his cool grey eyes to her. "Lily what's the language from which 'nox' is partially derived?"

"Greek." Lily said, her eyes not leaving the back of James' head. "From the Roman goddess of the night."

"So both?" Sirius pulled a confused face.

"Probably Roman."

"Why are you wearing James' jersey?" Remus asked Lily.

And that's when James' head swiveled so fast Lily thought he might have whiplash. James licked his lips as Lily modeled the jersey happily. All of a sudden James' hands were on her waist, holding her to the spot she was standing at.

"You like?" She grinned, knowing very well he did.

James stood up and ran his hands down the yellow jersey. "I can't wait to fuck you in this."

"Language James!" Peter cried, covering his ears.

"Some of us are  _ eating _ here!" Remus moaned into his toast.

Lily just laughed.

"You're coming to the game." James pressed her hips into his.

"Maybe." She teased. "You gonna make it to the game?"

James ignored her witticism. "I'd love to have some support out there."

"You've got  _ all _ of Hufflepuff on your side."

"I knew Evans but this is  _ Slytherin _ ."

"And?"

"They've got Regulus Black—an idiot for sure-but he's a good seeker and I might lose."

Lily snorted, "you  _ never _ lose."

"True." He kissed her neck. "Cause you're my good luck charm."

"You say that to all the girls."

"Just you." He grinned into her skin. "I love you."

"I love you too." She winked at him. "Now I have to go, I have rounds before the game."

James sighed, "I wish I had rounds with you."

"If you go with me, neither of us will get anything done."

"We'd get  _ something _ done."

"Bloody Hell," Sirius stood up and shoved himself in between them, effectively blocking them from each other. "Lily go do rounds. James, sit down and think about your Great-Aunt Marie's foot fungus."

James sat down and Lily walked away from the boys but not before shooting James a very playful wink. James didn't let her make it past the entrance hall and they both arrived to the game just in time that afternoon. James looked as if he'd already won the game, his expression was euphoric. Lily's face paint was smudged down her cheeks and her bun had fallen down so that her hair was wild about her shoulders. She cheered loudly in the stands for her Hufflepuff boyfriend, her cheers being the loudest in the stands.

Three weeks later James brought Lily down to the kitchens for another baking session. When she arrived in the kitchens she was surprised to see not only James, but also all of her friends piled around a tray of red and yellow iced cupcakes. Sirius and Remus both had their arms around a beaming Peter. Dorcas and Marlene were standing with some of the other Gryffindor girls near a few house elves watching with large eyes. James was grinning up a storm as he swiped the cupcake on the top. It's icing was swirled red and yellow and resting in the middle of the icing was a shiny golden ring.

Lily took the cupcake from James silently, staring at the golden ring on top.

"It's my mums engagement ring." He said softly.

Lily felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I know what it is you numpty."

Everyone watching laughed and she couldn't help but laugh too as she pulled the ring from the frosting. James took the ring from her and wiped it on a napkin that he then passed to Sirius before getting down on one knee.

"From the minute you made fun of my sweater in fifth year," he said loudly, "I knew I liked you, despite you wearing the colors of my rival house." The tears slipped down her cheeks but she was laughing as James dramatically proclaimed how he fell in love with her, "And then we started hanging out more. I realized I fancied the Hell out of you and by some stroke of luck you fancied me back even though I'm a vegan cupcake baker with nerdy specs."

"Just ask her already!" Marlene called from the side, "Merlin, _Potter_ , some of us want to get back to quidditch practice!"

"McKinnon," James turned his head to glare at Marlene, "Hufflepuff will still whoop Gryffindor's sorry arses no matter how much you practice."

"Just snog my mate so we can get back to being frenemies, Potter." Marlene shot James the middle finger.

"I'm working on it." James turned back to Lily with his eyes light and playful, "What do you say Lily? Want to get married once I filch the Quidditch cup from Gryffindor house for the third year running?"

" _ Not likely. _ " Marlene coughed.

Lily laughed through her tears as she remembered the first night she'd come into contact with James. Lily remembered how she couldn't take her eyes off James when he waltzed into the Gryffindor room with a confident air and a tray full of firewhiskey cupcakes. He was the charming Hufflepuff chaser who had won his place in her heart with nothing but enthusiastic charisma and a loyal smile.

"Yes." She said, helping him place the ring on her finger.

Everyone erupted into cheers and Lily flushed happily as James stood up to press a kiss to her forehead at the same time that Sirius, Peter, Remus and a few others grabbed cupcakes, smearing the frosting all over the happy couple in celebration. Red and yellow frosting swirled on James' cheeks and Lily's hair was covered in frosting and bits of cupcake. Marlene purposely shoved a cupcake into James' mouth and Lily licked a bit of frosting off her wrist with intrigue. A familiar burst of cinnamon hit her tongue.

The engagement cupcakes were spiked with firewhiskey.


	4. Cravings

Lily Potter wanted cupcakes and not just any cupcakes.

No, she wanted her husband's killer, double-chocolate chip cupcakes served to her on a silver platter and dripping with peanut butter icing. She wanted his butterbeer cupcakes that he always baked by pouring a whole damn bottle into his recipe. She wanted her wedding cake, the one with icing infused with firewhiskey.

She wanted all those cupcakes delivered to her work office by said husband, wearing nothing but an apron and his specs. Saying goodbye to her inhibitions she admitted to herself that she'd lick the icing off the cupcakes and the husband, right in broad daylight.

Of course, Lily Potter's daydreams were just that, and instead, all she had in front of her were carrot sticks and a half a ham sandwich. It was rather disappointing when compared to her imagination.

Lily sighed deeply and glanced at the edge of her desk. Next to her name plate, the clock ticked slowly on her desk as she put her chin into her palm, her elbow keeping everything propped up. The calendar mocked Lily, she still had four whole days until James was back from his work trip. Lily grabbed a carrot stick and shoved it into her mouth angrily, wrinkling her nose as she chewed.

It tasted like cardboard.

Lily was not a cook, not even a little bit. All kitchen prep was normally left in the capable hands of her dear husband, James, who could cook the best vegetarian chili she'd ever had. He also had a knack for cupcakes, of course, and Lily craved his baking whenever he was away.

He'd only been gone about a month, this time on a trip to America. Lily worked in the charms department and never traveled farther than the misuse of muggle artifacts office. James, on the other hand, worked in the curse breaker department and traveled at least twelve weeks out of the year. Lily hated it. James didn't mind it as much but he always said that he was getting close to quitting. He'd taken the job for fun and now it was just getting in the way of their time together, something James needed as much as Lily.

Of course, he was a bit more independent than she was without him. When James was away she ate like shit, felt like shit, and was generally moody because James wasn't going down on her on Saturday nights. Lily was a woman, she had wants and needs. Despite her best efforts, James was a pro at her needs by now and she needed him like a cupcake needed icing because without icing a cupcake was just a fancy muffin. Lily would much rather have her husband, her adorable vegan cupcake.

And a month without him?

Lily was calling it the month from Hell in her letters to him, something he swore always made him laugh. He'd write her back, drawing crude stick figures of what they'd be doing if he were there. Lily felt bad for the post people that might get a peek at some of the letters James sent attached to their owls leg. Still, she wouldn't ask James to stop for anything because his letters were a small piece of her week, helping her make it without him.

Lily sighed again and played with a carrot stick. Lily normally didn't eat much when James was gone because she never wanted to cook, but the last few weeks without his cooking hand had been a little ridiculous. Even pasta, Lily's regular go-to, tasted like worms as it traveled down her esophagus. Just thinking about it, made her feel sick again.

Lily pushed her lunch away from her face and placed her head in both hands. Closing her eyes, Lily dreamed of James' firewhiskey cupcakes and the sweet brownies he made on Sundays to go with ice cream. She normally had a sweet tooth but now, after a month without James' baked goods...it was out of control. Every second of every day, even when she felt like throwing up when she tried to make breakfast and burned the eggs, all that Lily wanted was for James Potter to waltz through the door with his trademark smile and infamous smiley-face cupcakes that he'd once baked to try and win over Lily's best friend Marlene.

"You're not eating your lunch again?"

Lily's head shot out of her hands as her boss, Emmaline Vance, waltzed through the door with a salad in a plastic container and a quirked brow aimed at Lily. Lily glared down at her ham sandwich before answering Emmaline.

"I hate sandwiches."

Emmaline laughed and placed her salad on Lily's desk. Everyone in the office knew Lily was a shitty cook and hardly ever ate when James was out on travel.

"When does your husband get back from New York?"

"Next week." Lily felt a sigh of relief escape her mouth.

"Good," Emmaline said, "you're starting to look a little pale and skinny."

"It's my stomach." Lily mumbled, "it's been protesting my cooking."

"Everyone's stomach protests your cooking, Lily."

Emmaline ripped the cover off her salad and just then, Lily got a a strong whiff of anchovies. Lily had never moved so fast. One minute, she was leaning back in her chair casually and the next minute she was heaving up what little food she'd eaten into a waste bin. Emmaline practically had a heart attack, racing over to grab Lily's hair and pull it away while Lily emptied her stomach. Tears stung Lily's eyes and she let a small sob escape as Emmaline patted her back.

That was how the Head of the Department, Richard Knott, found the girls and he called the healers right away at Emmaline's panicked intrusion. By the time the healers were there, Richard and Emmaline had Lily sitting on the floor. Lily was clutching her stomach, feeling absolutely disgusted with herself and she never wanted to smell fish, ever again. Richard had his wand blowing cold air on her neck, which felt amazing and Lily thanked him wearily as a healer in a bright blue jacket knelt down in front of her.

"She was fine and then she just—" Emmaline was talking to the healer standing up.

The healer in front of Lily was staring into her bloodshot eyes warily, "Hullo, I'm Healer Robert, do you remember your name?"

"Lily Potter." Lily whispered, feeling woozy even after losing everything left in her stomach.

"What happened Lily?" The healer put a wand to her temple and she felt a bit of the stomach rumble subside.

"Emmaline and I were talking," Lily recalled, "and then all of a sudden I just had the overwhelming feeling like my eggs from this morning were going to make a reappearance."

"She was throwing up when I got here." Richard told the healer.

"She hasn't been eating." Emmaline voiced her worries out loud, "her husband's a curse breaker and he's been gone to America for a month."

Lily managed a small laugh as she thought of her doting husband, "no one tells James that I got sick on the job, or he'll never leave on a work trip again."

Not that she wouldn't mind if he quit his job at all, but that was selfish Lily talking.

The healer pressed a palm to her forehead, "you're really flushed and seem stressed, Mrs. Potter. What's been going on at home?"

"Of course I look stressed!" Lily turned a sassy eyebrow on the healer, "My husband's been gone for a month and I have run out of edible food to survive. I don't know how I ever lived without him. I might die if he doesn't come back next week."

The healer smiled at her, "I can assure you that we won't let you die, Mrs. Potter."

"Well that's a relief." Lily said grumpily as her stomach continued to churn.

"If I remember your husband from school, I'd prefer to remain in his good graces."

Lily tilted her head at Robert, "you knew my husband?"

"He was in Hufflepuff with me." he admitted, "I was a few years older than Potter, but I never forgot when he won us that crazy Quidditch match against Gryffindor."

Lily hummed in agreement, "you'll never meet a better Quidditch player than my husband."

"Or a finer baker." The healer said as he took her pulse, "he used to leave his butterbeer cupcakes on finals week for everyone in the common room."

"We met through his baking actually." Lily said casually, thinking back to when he'd swaggered into Gryffindor's common room with a tray of firewhiskey cupcakes, "he baked Gryffindor cupcakes as an apology for whipping our arses on the pitch."

Robert laughed, "that's hilarious!"

Lily sighed as her stomach rumbled again and she leaned forward a bit in response. The healers noticed her touchy movement and glanced at each other. The woman healer nodded at Robert, confirming whatever he'd asked her with his eyes.

"Am I going to survive?" Lily asked.

Robert chuckled, "I do believe you will, but your blood pressure is still a little high. Mind coming to the Healers office for a spell?"

Lily tried to protest that she was fine but Emmaline demanded she go get a more in depth check up. Robert and Richard supported Lily as she stood up. She wobbled a bit, making Robert wrap an arm around her waist. Robert, the other Healer named Taylor, and Lily made their way to the Ministry's health ward together.

"You were in Gryffindor then?" Robert kept the conversation going as they walked.

"Yeah," Lily ribbed at her stomach as they walked, "I met James when we were about fifteen but we didn't start dating until sixth year or so, after he'd won me over with a few of those cupcakes."

Robert smiles, "it's amazing you two are Hogwarts sweethearts. Any kids yet?"

Lily shook her head, "he's gone so much and we really don't want to start a family until he's home more."

"I always forget curse breakers travel a lot."

"He's starting to regret taking the job."

"It's why that department has such a high turnover rate." Robert nodded as they entered the medical ward.

The hospital was mainly used as a place to report on the job injuries, Lily was the only one in the Hospital that afternoon. A few other healers waved as Robert sat her down on a cot and started doing a full body examination.

"Does it feel like cramps?" He asked, "or does it feel like your stomachs churning?"

"Both?" Lily said unhelpfully, "I got one whiff of Emmaline's anchovies and lost it."

Taylor perked up from where she was writing down Lily's symptoms, "do you not like fish?"

"I don't like anything right now, to be honest." Lily said "the last two weeks it seems all I've done is crave my husband's baking. Nothing else sounds good."

Taylor smirked over her clipboard, "his cupcakes are that good, huh?"

Robert explained, "Potter was known for his cupcakes in school. He should've been a baker, not a curse breaker."

Lily rubbed her stomach some more, recalling Hogwarts memories filled with cupcakes and laughter. A pang shot through her heart. She missed her husband. Tears pricked in her eyes and she pouted, not believing she'd thrown up at work all because James wasn't around to cook for her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized to Robert, "I'm so embarrassed! It's probably just my anxiety. I haven't been sleeping well with James gone."

"You haven't been sleeping?" Taylor our down her own now, scrutinizing Lily, "are you tired?"

"Constantly." Lily promised the healer, "but I just toss and turn. Sometimes I wake up feeling sick. It's so bizarre."

"Any weird mood swings?"

"No," then she paused, "maybe, yes."

"Roberts you can stop examining her."

Lily watched as Taylor lowered Roberts arm, a small smile on her face. Roberts looked at his partner, clearly confused. Taylor turned back to Lily, her blue eyes narrowed.

"Is there any possibility that you could be pregnant, Lily?"

Lily shook her head, "I take a potion."

"Before and after sex?"

"Before?"

Taylor shook her head, her brunette hair falling a bit into her eyes, "the potions aren't always one hundred perfect effective, especially if you only take it once."

Lily felt all the blood rush from her face at that, "what?"

"I'm going to need you to sit still."

Taylor had her own wand out now and was pointing it at Lily's groin. Lily felt suddenly sick again as she looked down at her stomach.

She couldn't be pregnant.

Not yet.

But she and James had been particularly active before he'd left and maybe, just maybe she'd forgotten to take the potion all together. A string of curse words flew through Lily's mind as she tried to remember if she'd taken the potion the last time they'd had sex, right before James left for America. Taylor was moving her wand back and forth across Lily's abdomen, little white trendles of magic seeping through Lily's robes and against her stomach. Taylor suddenly pulled her wand back, like she was caught on something, and the white strands pulled away from Lily.

The magic strands turned green and Lilys fingers were digging into the cot.

"What does that mean?" Lily squeaked, eyes wide.

Taylor's eyes lifted to Lily, "Mrs, Potter, you'll want to start looking into baby prams."

Lily's hands lifted to her face, her fingernails digging into her cheek, "I'm pregnant?"

It explained it all.

The mood swings.

The sickness that lasted almost all day.

The cravings for not just James' cupcakes, but for James himself.

She was pregnant.

They were going to have a baby.

A literal, drooling and sticky fingered bundle made of half James and half Lily.

"I can't even bake a cupcake," Lily deadpanned, "and now I need to raise a child?"

Taylor and Robert both laughed. Taylor placed a hand on Lily's shoulder, forcing Lily to look up from her hands. Taylor's expression was filled with nothing but kindness.

"I'll get you an appointment with my midwife." Taylor said, "she comes right to your house and helps you every step of the way."

Taylor and Robert gave her a few medical tips and tricks for the morning sickness. Taylor had spare robes that she let Lily change into, promising her that the morning sickness would get better by the second trimester. Robert had a list of vitamins and potions Lily should start taking for the baby.

Her baby.

Lily's head was still reeling when she got back to the office. Emmaline was waiting for Lily at her desk. The salad had long since been thrown away, thankfully. Lily didn't even bother sitting down, she just stood in the doorway of the office like a zombie, baby pamphlets in her hands.

"Need to take a sick day?" Emmaline asked kindly, "I don't mind."

Lily nodded and stuffed the papers into her robes. Lily gave Emmaline a little wave before practically running back out of the office. Lily hardly remembered how she got home, only realizing when she was home that her stomach was once again, begging for food.

Lily stalked into the brightly lit, wood covered kitchen and started wrenching open cabinets to find food. There were canned beans. She found a bit of fish in the freezer that almost made her puke again so she slammed the freezer shut promptly. In the cool box she found a bit of chicken but she'd heated it up only to chuck it in the bin.

Giving up, she sat in the kitchen table, her legs dangling down to the floor as she considered her predicament. She stared down at her stomach and curiosity got the best of her. Lily began unbuttoning the robes until she was staring at her pale stomach. It looked the same, if only a little round, but she'd thought she was just bloating.

"I can't even feel you." Lily placed a hand on her abdomen softly, pressing down only to feel nothing but fat, "are you the reason I've been wanting nothing but cupcakes the last three weeks, my sweet little cupcake?"

Suddenly, Lily's shoulders dropped as she realized how nervous she was. Almost twenty years old and she couldn't even bake a proper cupcake without her husband's help. Hell, she couldn't cook anything without his help. What would their kid think of a mother who couldn't cook for her child? Lily's specialty was toast and jam. The kid couldn't eat that for the rest of its life.

Determinedly, Lily walked over to the pantry in her bare feet and underwear. If the neighbors passed by and saw her baking like this, oh well, Lily was sure they'd probably seen worse through the sitting room windows when James forgot to close the curtains. She reached up high to get down the recipe book filled with James' familiar scribble. She was going to make a cake for her kid, or at least try. Some part of Lily was determined to master the art of baking.

If she could master baking, then maybe she might be able to master the art of raising a child too.

Lily got to work, following the recipes and mixing flour into eggs and eggs into sugar. By the time she was done the batter, her hair was dusted in white and her stomach had flour hand marks where she kept reaching to feel the baby while she talked.

"Your daddy loves baking," Lily said out loud, "but maybe if I learn, you'll let me make a few of your birthday cakes too."

The first batch of cupcakes was a horrible mess. She had no idea what went wrong but they tasted like shite when she tried the first one from the oven. Defeated, Lily poured the rest of the batter down the sink and tossed the excess cupcakes out to the birds. She knew they were bad, when even the birds avoided them.

She sent an owl into Emmaline that she was going to need another day off. Emmaline granted her two days and made Lily promise to get some sleep. Lily wished she could say she slept normally but instead, she slept in small bursts on the couch before attempting another recipe. Pies, cupcakes, and even James' mothers batata harra. She was trying everything. Lily used to wonder why James loved to cook and she started to realize it was because it helped focus her brain on something other than her baby. She could put an actual bun in the actual oven and control how it came out. A relief, considering all the pamphlets on baby's born with genetic diseases and painful disabilities.

"Good things come to those who bake." Lily told her baby as she mixed up a new chocolate batter she'd found in James' notes, "that's the Potter family motto, so you'd better start memorizing it now."

As she tried to bake, she imagined what their baby was going to look like. She daydreamed about thick black hair and James' hazel eyes. She wouldn't mind a carbon copy of the man she loved, especially if their kid got his smile. Lily's favorite part of James was his adorkable smile.

By her third day, attempting to bake one of James' many cupcake books, Lily had settled into a state of mind that allowed her anxiety to start fading back into it's less abrasive form. She'd baked so many cupcakes that she ran out of trays to put them on and now she was settling for stacking cupcakes on top of each other.

It was while balancing another set of his butterbeer cupcakes on top of his chocolate cupcakes, that James Potter walked through the door in the kitchen and came to a halting stop. Behind his tortoise shell glasses, his hazel eyes were assessing the abundance of cupcakes and his wife in the middle of them all. She was wearing his apron and covered in flour. He slowly shut the door behind him, eyes wary.

"What's going on?" His voice was wary, acting as if Lily's actions were worrisome.

And they probably were, since it was the first time she'd baked alone since they'd met at fifteen. Whenever she baked, it was at his side, and he normally only let her wisk and sift. Lily brushed her hair back from her face wildly, her enthusiasm shaking her to her very core as she called out James' name and bounded over to him.

Once her lips were on his, James relaxed. He dropped the travel tote in his left hand so he could wrap his fingers up into her hair and mold her mouth firmly to his. Lily deepened the kiss, her own flour covered hands gripping together behind the base of his neck.

A month had been too long, for the both of them.

Lily's jumped up and her ankles hooked behind James' back. His free hand was digging into her arse as he sloppily carried her over to the kitchen table and sat her on top of it to give then both more support. Lily kissed James until her lips were aching, amongst other things. His large hands were tracing every part of her body, as if memorizing it. He leaned his forehead to hers, breathing in carefully as they reveled in each other's company.

He leaned closer when she pressed a tender kiss to the side of his face, "I can't believe you're actually baking."

She smiled into his skin, "I want to learn how to cook and bake just like you."

He chuckled and slowly pushed his hips forward into hers, "that might be the sexiest thing you've ever said to me."

Lily pushed her fingers through his hair, all the soft curls snagging lightly at her fingers, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you more baby," he promised, his fingers starting to peel her robes up her legs, "I dreamed about you every night."

Her ability to speak was drawn short when he kissed her, his tongue drawing her mouth open with little strokes. Lily helped him take off her apron, the tie on the back of her neck proving trouble for both of them. She unbuttoned his robes, her hormones throwing caution to the wind and ready to fuck him right then and there. She was about to use her toes to shimmy down his pants when the oven timer went off.

"My cupcakes!"

She just about launched through James. He laughed as she scrambled to find the oven mitt so she could pull out her newest cupcake batch of pumpkin spice cupcakes. She set the cupcakes on the counter to cook and turned off the oven before turning and finding her husband staring at her with nothing but passion in his darkened hazel eyes.

"So what brought my personal fantasy to life?" He asked, crossing his arms across his bare chest, "why are you baking us out of the house and home?"

Lily blinked at him hazardously, her fingers pulling through her auburn hair, "well, you might want to sit down for this."

James cocked an eyebrow but sat down on the edge of the table, clearly focused. Lily wrung her hands in front of her as she considered the best way to tell James she was pregnant.

"I was trying to bake." Lily motioned around to all the cupcakes, "it was helping me think."

James' smile was all teeth, "told you that it's good therapy." He tilted his head even more, "but why so many cupcakes? Got a lot of thinking to do?"

"About nine months of thinking to do, in fact."

"Nine months is oddly specific."

"It's a countdown."

James scoffed, not catching on, "what on earth are you counting down too?"

"You are leaving your job to stay at home with me."

"Is that it?"

"Well one of us will have to leave work and become a stay at home parent."

"Pardon?"

Lily pointed to her stomach. "Pregnant."

James just stared at Lily, comprehension there but rendering him speechless. Lily stepped nearer to him, waving a hand in front of just face. He looked more in doubt than she had.

"You're bluffing me." James' voice was filled with raw emotion. "I mean you can't be pregnant, you take that potion!"

"Apparently," Lily said, placing both her hands on his thighs, "it's not always one hundred percent effective and I might've gotten distracted that one night in the shower..."

James' face remained screwed up in concentration. Lily watched the shifting colors in his hazel eyes. Traced his lips with her eyes. She snuggled in closer to his warm body.

"Pregnant?" He repeated in awe, "You're sure?"

"Positive."

"And it's definitely mine?" his eyes were playful, "You didn't cheat on me with my best mate while I was gone a whole month?"

"All I've been doing is craving your cupcakes and barfing up anything meat related so I'm one-hundred percent positive this baby is yours, you stupid vegan," Lily said sassily, hitting his arm as he laughed, "I lost it at work when I smelled fish. Threw up all over the office."

James grinned, "we're about to become a full-on vegetarian household aren't we."

"Not if I can help it." Lily said, "this baby will love bacon, even if I have to force feed it."

James put both hands on her stomach in wonder, "A dad, how you do reckon?"

"I know." Lily said, agreeing with his shock, "I almost passed out when the Healers confirmed it at work three days ago."

James' hands dropped, "you've known for three days?! You didn't owl me?!"

"I wanted to tell you in—oof!"

There was no more talking, James was kissing her again and this time her fingers were stripping him down in a little less than a minute. Her clothes were coming off too but the flour stayed, covering James too as they snogged heatedly. Another minute later and they were scrambling down the hall, loudly murmuring sweet nothings along the way. James was always particularly affectionate when he came back from work travel, but as they lay on the sheets together, he paid particular attention to her entire stomach and abdomen. He kissed every inch of her that he could reach, showering her (and their baby) with love.

"I take it you're happy?" She asked as she arched herself into his body.

"I've never been more happy." He said, lifting his lips from her bare stomach.

Lily reached out to rake her fingers through his wild hair adoringly, "I'm so happy too, if not a little scared, of being a parent."

James kissed her stomach again before climbing up so they were nose to nose. He kissed her slowly, assuredly. Lily's mouth traced his jaw lovingly when he broke away to grin at her.

"We're going to be great parents!" He said excitedly, "another Potter, set loose on the world!"

"Minerva will retire." Lily giggled into the crook of his neck, "the minute our little cupcake gets sorted into Gryffindor, she'll put in her notice."

"Gryffindor?" James pulled back suddenly, a challenge arising on his face, "why can't she be a Hufflepuff?"

"Who doesn't want to be a Gryffindor?"

"Who doesn't want to be a Hufflepuff?" James nipped at her playfully, "we have the common room right next to the kitchens!"

"Screw the kitchens, Gryffindor has the better Quidditch tea—" James purposefully moved his fingers elsewhere to turn her words into a hitched breath.

"You were saying?" He asked sweetly, as her eyes fluttered closed.

"Fuck that feels good." was all she managed.

She'd definitely missed him while he was away. He was touching her just how she liked, working her up with long, smooth strokes. His fingers were calloused from work, adding an extra sensation that she could never match working on her own.

James' fingers continued their dirty work as he leaned over her, eyes hazy, "I'll bet you fifty galleons that our little cupcake, as you called her, sorts into Hufflepuff."

"Sixty." Lily disagreed heatedly, and he slid his fingers into her so that her back arched up into his touch.

"You don't think I'll win this, with my fingers between your legs?" he asked, knowing very well he was driving her mad.

"She's a-a-Gryffindor." she gasped breathlessly.

"Sixty five galleons."

"Just fuck me."

He added pressure and she moaned loudly, her head pressing into the mattress and her nails digging into his scalp. She didn't know if it was the hormones or the fact that he'd been gone so long, but she was overwhelmed by his persistent touch. James didn't stop, not until she was writhing under his touch, calling out in relief as her body relaxed around his hold. James waited until her eyes fluttered open and then he licked his fingers right in front of her, like they were covered in icing.

"Hufflepuff." He said cockily.

Lily hated him and loved him all at once.

The pregnancy only got harder as the first trimester progressed. Lily stopped craving everything, including sex and cupcakes. She lost ten pounds despite gaining a little pouch to her stomach. James seemed more nervous than her by the second month and was stress baking. The neighbors, their friends, and family all questioned the abnormal amount of baking the Potter's were doing.

Well, James was baking...Lily stayed far away from the kitchen.

The second trimester was better. Lily's appetite was back in full, much to James' excitement. He baked her whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Not long after her appetite for food came back, so did her appetite for James. They both spent their weekends mostly in bed together, not that James seemed to mind.

Lily finally started showing in a way that wasn't easy to hide at about four months and that's when they told everyone. Their best mate Sirius cried when they asked him to be godfather. Lily's sister sent them an ugly blanket that Lily would never use. More and more baby gifts started flying in from all over the country and James put in his notice at work. They had a sizable fortune sitting in the bank they would live off of until their baby was old enough and they both felt comfortable working again.

By month five, the heated debate between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff grew. Even though James' whole family had been in a Gryffindor except him (and the late and missed Mia Potter) he was adamant that the child would go into Hufflepuff like he had.

Lily called bullshit, "this baby will literally have a mostly Gryffindor bloodline running through her veins."

"That doesn't mean anything." James scoffed, "the sorting hat put me in Hufflepuff despite my father being in Gryffindor. And his father before him."

"That's only because you hero-worshiped your mum."

"And?"

"What if our baby worships her mum?" Lily asked with a smirk, "I wasn't put in bloody Hufflepuff. I'm a Gryffindor through and through."

James rolled his eyes as he kneaded his dough, "if it's a girl...won't she be daddy's little cupcake?"

Lily leaned back in her chair, her hand pressed to her ever growing belly, "and what if its a boy?"

James started forming his loaf as they argued, "a boy?" he scoffed, "everyone knows when you crave cupcakes through your pregnancy that means you're having a girl."

"Sure it does," Lily pat down her stomach heartily and suggested, "we can go to the muggle doctor and find out to end this little debate?"

James wrinkled his nose, "now where's the fun in that? I want it to be a surprise."

"It would certainly make naming our little cupcake much easier." She sang, feeling the baby kick as she did so.

"It's already got a name," James said and Lily complained out loud as he started listing off all the nicknames he's given it the last five months, "Cupcake Monster. Baby Prongs. Sirius and I are big fans of Elvendork, because it's unisex."

"Cupcake Monster and Baby Prongs aren't unisex?" Lily couldn't help it, she was giggling into her palm as James continued listing names.

"James JR is a favorite. Grindylow. Albus Dumbledore."

"We are not naming our baby Albus Dumbledore." Lily said, still laughing so hard that it hurt her sides, "and don't even suggest Fleamont unless you want the baby to spend the rest of its life hating you."

"Fine, Fleamont and Albus are out." James twisted to send her a twinkle of a smile, "But Grindylow's still in?"

Lily tossed a dish towel at him.

Because they could not decide on a theme for the baby shower, Sirius and Peter thought it'd be hilarious if they made it half Hufflepuff colors and half Gryffindor. Sirius was calling the baby shower the 'War of Two Houses' and Peter had somehow sewed Gryffindor and Hufflepuff banners together so that the roaring lion was also part badger. The effect was comical. Everyone at the party placed bets on which house baby Potter would be sorted into. A majority picked Gryffindor, mostly because they all liked to watch James start petting Lily's stomach and giving the baby 'fifty six reasons you'd want to be in Hufflepuff' lectures. Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Lily all voted Gryffindor and James called them traitors.

Harry James Potter was born in the seventh month of the year. July 31st, to be precise. He had his mother's green eyes and his father's hair. Most importantly, Lily noted that as Harry got older, he had her smile and James' booming laugh. He also loved cupcakes and hated his banana baby food. She'd never thought she could love anything as much, if not more than James, and Harry proved her wrong. He was a quiet baby, a troublesome toddler, and a wild child. He was the perfect mixture of Lily and James. So much so, that neither of them really knew what house he'd be sorted into.

They still took bets though, just out of earshot of Harry.

James and Lily weren't the only ones wondering what Harry would end up being sorted into. Apparently, according to Remus who worked at Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Minerva McGonagall (Gryffindor's Head of House) already claimed Harry for Gryffindor's Quidditch Team. Pamona Sprout, however, threatened to duel Minerva and pay off the sorting hat to ensure Hufflepuff got another star player for the Hufflepuff quidditch team.

"I keep reminding them that it's all dependent on what the hat see's inside Harry's head." Remus chuckled one day over tea and one of James' vanilla cupcakes, "but I can only suggest Harry will end up a Slytherin just to spite all of you so many times, before Minerva threatened to have me fired."

Harry's eleventh year and September 1st came much more quickly than Lily and James could have predicted. They packed up all his school things, surprised him with a owl to write home with, and carted him off to the train station. Lily only kissed Harry about a dozen times and James hugged him about a dozen more times than that. Watching Harry board the train was one of the happiest moments of Lily's life.

"I can't wait to hear where he ends up." She told James excitedly once they'd made it back home to their quaint cottage.

James sat down on one of the old rickety wooden kitchen chairs with a smug grin, "ready to lay up sixty five galleons when we get the patronus from Remus?"

"We only gambled sixty five galleons?" Lily snorted.

"I wrote it down."

"Well you'd better pay up because Harry's going to Gryffindor."

"You sound so sure."

"I'd wager one hundred galleons and the loser has to do dishes for a week." Lily pinched James playfully.

"Eighty galleons and I get to top for the rest of the week." James said wickedly, winking her way suggestively.

Lily challenged his deal with a better one. "Eighty five galleons and you lick me out like I'm one of your firewhiskey filled cupcakes for the rest of the week."

James half laughed as his lust-filled eyes swept over her body. "You have a fucking deal, Gryffindor."

"Get ready to lose, Hufflepuff."

Lily shook his outstretched hand, grin poised and ready to win.

They sat at the table that night, waiting for the inevitable patronus that Remus had promised to send the moment Harry was sorted. Lily was on the edge of her seat, nervous as the day she found out she was pregnant. James was nervous too, he wouldn't stop cleaning his glasses and ruffling his hair. The anticipation was killing them and James's hand was getting higher and higher on her leg.

She knew it had to be soon, the news would come.

"It doesn't matter who wins." Lily reminded James as the clock clicked closer, "we'll love him no matter what house he's sorted into."

James sent her an impish smirk, "will you still be saying that when I win?"

"In your dreams, Potter."

"In my dreams," he leaned closer to her ear, "we've already found out and you're already under me on the bed."

Lily finally jumped onto his lap from her chair, her patience wearing thin. Screw the gamble, she just wanted to turn his prideful smirk into a hearty moan against her mouth. They were halfway through peeling James' robes off when a silver orb appeared in the room. Lily almost fell off James' lap to twist and stare at the orb that turned into a silvery wolf patronus.

Remus had sent news.

"Congratulations." Remus' voice echoed through the kitchen. "Gryffindor got another Potter!"

Lily's hands punched into the air and James laughed into her chest as she cheered. Harry, her little cupcake, was going to be a Gryffindor like his mum, grandfather, and uncles. James' hands traced up her bare arms as she celebrated in his lap.

"A Gryffindor!" She exclaimed as James brought her hands down to her sides. "Mr. Potter, pay up!"

"Get on the table."

"I have a feeling I'm going to love having this house to ourselves until Christmas."

They were like teenagers again, lost in pure and utter bliss and, because Lily was feeling so generous, she let James get his side of the gamble as well.

The next day, they got the official letter from Harry, announcing his sorting into Gryffindor. Lily stuck the letter to the fridge lovingly because, at the bottom of the letter, Harry had drawn a little cupcake with a lion's face etched into the inked icing. James grinned when he saw it on the fridge, a testament to Lily's win. He asked her if she wanted him to bake some firewhiskey cupcakes in celebration and they both settled into baking together, happy and in love.

With a Hufflepuff baker for a husband and a brave little Gryffindor for a son, Lily didn't know how life could get any sweeter.


End file.
